On which battleship did Japan sign the formal surrender ending World War II?

Japan signed the formal surrender ending World War II aboard USS Missouri.

The ceremony took place on 2 September 1945 on the battleship's deck in Tokyo Bay. General Douglas MacArthur opened the proceedings and accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied powers. Japanese representatives then signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.

USS Missouri was an Iowa-class battleship commissioned by the United States Navy in 1944. It had served in the Pacific before becoming the setting for the war's concluding ceremony. The ship remained famous afterward and later served in the Korean War and the Gulf War.

A common mix-up is confusing the announcement of Japan's acceptance of surrender terms on 15 August with the formal signing on 2 September. The announcement came first; USS Missouri hosted the legal and ceremonial conclusion.