On what date in 1945 was the Japanese Instrument of Surrender formally signed?

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was formally signed on September 2, 1945.

The ceremony took place shortly after 9 a.m. Japan Standard Time aboard the U.S. battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Japanese representatives signed two copies of the document, accepting the terms laid down by the Allied powers. The signing formally ended hostilities with the Allies.

This date is distinct from the surrender announcement. Hirohito’s radio address was broadcast on August 15 in Japan, and the American public heard President Truman’s announcement on August 14 in U.S. time zones. Truman indicated that the official proclamation should await the signing ceremony.

General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied powers. Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Japan. Representatives from the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand also signed.