In the term V-J Day, the letter J represents Japan, identifying the Allied victory over Japan in World War II.
The expression followed the earlier term V-E Day, meaning Victory in Europe Day, which marked Nazi Germany’s surrender in May 1945. Newspapers and governments used V-J Day for the end of the war against the Japanese Empire in the Pacific.
The label can refer to more than one date. Japan announced its acceptance of the Allied surrender terms on August 15 in Japan, while the formal surrender ceremony took place on September 2 aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Time-zone differences also placed the announcement on August 14 in the United States.
V-J Day is therefore a victory designation, not the name of a treaty or a Japanese holiday. Japan’s surrender ended the last major conflict of World War II.