Nine Allied powers signed Japan’s Instrument of Surrender after MacArthur.
The signatories represented the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. MacArthur signed first for the Allied powers, and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed for the United States before the other national representatives added their signatures.
The ceremony therefore included nine national Allied representatives after MacArthur, even though the United States was represented separately from MacArthur’s multinational command role. This distinction explains why accounts may describe the event as involving nine Allied powers or ten Allied signatures including MacArthur.
The countries did not all contribute forces in the same way. Some had major Pacific campaigns, while others represented governments and armed forces that had fought Japan or supported the Allied war effort. The signing order generally followed the planned ceremonial arrangement, ending with New Zealand’s representative.