On what date did Japan’s formal surrender take effect at the end of World War II?

Japan’s formal surrender took effect on September 2, 1945.

On that date, Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The document took effect at approximately 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time, when the ceremony concluded and the required signatures had been completed.

The date is distinct from August 15, when Hirohito’s recorded announcement was broadcast to the Japanese public. August 14 was the date of President Harry S. Truman’s announcement in the United States because of the time difference. These separate dates explain why V-J Day is observed differently in various countries.

September 2 is often treated as the definitive end of World War II, though fighting and regional surrender arrangements continued briefly in some places. Japanese forces in different territories surrendered through separate ceremonies, while the main instrument aboard Missouri established the formal capitulation of Japan to the Allied powers.