Japan's surrender was formally signed aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, marking the official V-J Day ceremony.
The signing took place on the battleship's deck in Tokyo Bay shortly after 9 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Representatives of Japan and the Allied powers signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, which formally ended hostilities in World War II.
August 15 is also closely associated with V-J Day because Emperor Hirohito's surrender announcement was broadcast to the Japanese public on that date. In the United States, however, President Harry Truman identified September 2 as the official V-J Day connected with the formal signing. Time-zone differences also meant the announcement was heard on August 14 in parts of the Americas.
The ceremony lasted about 23 minutes. It followed Germany's surrender in Europe by nearly four months and ended the global conflict, although some Japanese units continued fighting after the ceremony.