Japan’s formal surrender was signed in Tokyo Bay aboard USS Missouri.
The battleship was anchored in the bay on 2 September 1945, near the Japanese capital. The location placed the ceremony close to Tokyo while keeping it aboard an Allied warship, where the event could be controlled and witnessed by representatives of the victorious coalition.
Around 250 Allied vessels were present in the surrounding waters, including ships of the U.S. Navy and other Allied forces. The ceremony’s setting also emphasized the extent of Japan’s defeat: the signing took place in waters near the center of the Japanese government and military system rather than in a distant foreign capital.
Tokyo Bay is sometimes confused with nearby Sagami Bay, where Allied naval forces also operated during the occupation period. The surrender ceremony itself, however, was specifically held in Tokyo Bay. A plaque on USS Missouri marks the precise deck location where the signatures were made.