Japan’s formal surrender ceremony took place aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
The ceremony occurred on the battleship’s deck on September 2, 1945. Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender there, followed by representatives of the Allied powers. General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allies.
USS Missouri was an Iowa-class battleship commissioned by the United States Navy in 1944. Its selection gave the ceremony a prominent American naval setting close to Japan’s capital. The ship later became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, where visitors can see the spot associated with the signing.
The ceremony lasted only 23 minutes, but it represented the formal conclusion of the Pacific War and World War II’s final major surrender. It should not be confused with the August 15 radio announcement, which publicly communicated Japan’s decision before the document was signed.