In the 1945 Allied name V-J Day, the letter “J” stands for Japan. The expression means “Victory over Japan,” paralleling V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day.
The term referred to Japan’s defeat and surrender at the end of World War II. Different countries used different dates for V-J Day because Japan announced its acceptance of Allied terms on August 15 in Japan, while the formal surrender document was signed on September 2.
The abbreviation is sometimes written V-J Day, VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day. It should not be confused with V-E Day, which marked Germany’s surrender in Europe in May 1945, several months earlier.
In the United States, September 2 became the principal commemoration date for the formal end of the war, while August 15 remains the commonly observed date in several other countries.