Japan's formal World War II surrender was signed on September 2, 1945, marking the official V-J Day ceremony.
The ceremony took place after Japan had announced its acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration in August. Emperor Hirohito's radio announcement was heard in Japan on August 15, but the legal and ceremonial act ending the war came later, when Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender.
The event was held aboard the American battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender for the Allied powers, followed by representatives from the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
The two dates can cause confusion because many countries use August 15 for the announcement of Japan's surrender, while the United States officially designated September 2 as V-J Day. Japan's surrender ended the major fighting of World War II, although peace treaties and unresolved conflicts continued afterward.