On what date did Japan sign the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri?

Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri on 2 September 1945.

The signing occurred on the deck of USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay shortly after 9:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Japan, followed by representatives of the Allied powers. The document made Japan’s capitulation formal and brought the global conflict to its legal and ceremonial conclusion.

The date is sometimes confused with 15 August 1945, when Emperor Hirohito’s radio broadcast announced Japan’s acceptance of the Allied terms. That earlier announcement communicated the decision to surrender, but the written instrument was not signed until 2 September.

The ceremony lasted about 23 minutes and was broadcast internationally. The surrender document took effect at approximately 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time. The date is also associated with Victory over Japan Day, although different countries and sources use different dates for that commemoration.