Japan formally signed its surrender on September 2, 1945, ending World War II hostilities with the Allied powers.
The ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay at about 9 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, followed by representatives of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
The date is often associated with Victory over Japan Day, although the term is also used for August 14 or 15, depending on the country and time zone. August 15 marked Emperor Hirohito’s radio announcement that Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration. September 2 was the formal signing date and the day President Harry Truman designated as the official V-J Day.
The legal state of war with many Allied countries ended later through the Treaty of San Francisco, which came into force in 1952. The 1945 ceremony, however, ended active fighting between Japan and the Allies.