Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on 2 September 1945, formally ending World War II.
The ceremony took place aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Japanese representatives signed after Emperor Hirohito had announced Japan’s acceptance of the Allied terms in a recorded broadcast on 15 August.
The distinction between those dates causes frequent confusion. 15 August is widely remembered in Japan as the day the public heard the surrender announcement, while 2 September marks the legal and ceremonial signing. The instrument took effect at 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time.
Representatives from Japan and nine Allied countries signed the document. Regional surrender ceremonies followed in places including the Philippines, Korea, and Southeast Asia, but the signing aboard Missouri was the central ceremony that formally concluded the war.