Japan’s formal surrender ceremony took place in Tokyo Bay.
On September 2, 1945, representatives of Japan and the Allied powers gathered aboard USS Missouri, which was anchored in Tokyo Bay. The location placed the ceremony close to the Japanese capital while allowing the large Allied fleet gathered offshore to remain nearby.
The event followed Emperor Hirohito’s August 15 radio announcement and the Japanese government’s acceptance of the Allied terms. During the ceremony, Japanese representatives signed the surrender instrument, followed by General Douglas MacArthur and representatives of the Allied nations.
Tokyo Bay is not the same as the city of Tokyo itself. The bay is a broad inlet on Japan’s Pacific coast, and the ceremony occurred aboard a ship in its waters rather than in a government building on land. The bay also held numerous Allied vessels and was used as a visible symbol of Japan’s defeat and the beginning of the occupation.