Eleven Japanese representatives were present at the USS Missouri surrender ceremony in 1945.
Only two of the eleven signed the Instrument of Surrender: Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu represented the Emperor and Japanese government, while General Yoshijirō Umezu represented Imperial General Headquarters. The other nine delegates served as military or civilian members of the Japanese delegation.
The full delegation included three representatives each from the Army, Navy, and Foreign Ministry. The Allies had requested the names in advance, but the identities of only the two signatories were initially released publicly for security and ceremonial reasons.
The delegation traveled from Tokyo to Yokohama early on September 2 and then boarded the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Their presence made clear that the surrender involved both Japan’s civilian government and its armed forces. The ceremony also included representatives from nine Allied governments, who signed after MacArthur in a carefully prescribed order.