On what date was Japan's formal surrender signed during V-J Day in 1945?

Japan's formal surrender was signed on 2 September 1945, during the ceremony that officially ended World War II.

Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the American battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The ceremony began shortly after 9 a.m. Japan Standard Time and lasted about 23 minutes. General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender for the Allied powers, followed by representatives of the United States, China, Britain, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

The date is sometimes confused with 15 August, when Emperor Hirohito's radio broadcast announced Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. In Japan, 15 August is commonly associated with the end of the war, while the United States officially recognized 2 September as V-J Day. The signing date marked the legal and ceremonial completion of Japan's surrender.

The instrument took effect at approximately 9:25 a.m. Tokyo time. Its signing formally ended hostilities between Japan and the Allied powers, although regional surrender ceremonies continued afterward.