In which body of water was Japan’s formal surrender signed in 1945?

Japan’s formal surrender was signed in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

The ceremony was held aboard USS Missouri, which was anchored in the bay near Tokyo. The location placed the surrender close to Japan’s political center while allowing the Allied naval forces gathered offshore to provide security and a visible demonstration of victory.

The Japanese delegation included Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu. Allied representatives then signed on behalf of their governments, with General Douglas MacArthur signing for the Allied powers and Admiral Chester Nimitz signing for the United States.

The document took effect at 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Tokyo Bay is therefore associated with the formal legal conclusion of the war, while August 15 is more commonly linked with Japan’s public announcement of surrender.