Japan signed its formal surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
The ceremony occurred on September 2, 1945, in the waters near Tokyo. The setting allowed the Allied naval forces gathered in the area to witness the event while keeping the ceremony close to Japan’s political center.
Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu signed for Japan. General Douglas MacArthur signed for the Allied powers, followed by Admiral Chester Nimitz as the United States representative and delegates from other Allied nations.
Tokyo Bay was also symbolically important because the ceremony took place within sight of the Japanese capital. The event concluded the surrender process begun by Hirohito’s radio announcement on August 15.