Two Japanese officials signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender as principal signatories.
Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the emperor and the Japanese government, while General Yoshijiro Umezu signed for Imperial General Headquarters. Their signatures were made aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, before the Allied representatives added theirs.
Japan's delegation contained more people than the two principal signatories. Eleven Japanese delegates traveled to the ceremony, including military officers and Foreign Ministry officials, but only Shigemitsu and Umezu signed the instrument. The Allies had decided in advance that the press would be shown the names of only the two signers.
This distinction can cause confusion in photographs and accounts of the ceremony. Several Japanese representatives stood behind the two men, but presence at the ceremony did not mean authority to sign the surrender document. The two-signature arrangement represented both sides of Japan's wartime leadership: the civilian government and the military headquarters.