How many minutes did the Japanese Instrument of Surrender ceremony last?

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender ceremony lasted 23 minutes.

It began shortly after 9 a.m. on 2 September 1945 aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. General Douglas MacArthur opened the proceedings, after which the Japanese representatives signed, followed by representatives of the Allied governments.

Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the Japanese government, and General Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Imperial General Headquarters. MacArthur then signed for the Allied powers, followed by representatives from the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

The brief ceremony had enormous legal and historical importance. It formalized Japan’s capitulation and ended the armed conflict between Japan and the Allied powers. Although Japan had announced its decision to surrender in August, the document’s signing was the formal act that concluded the war.