What document did Japan sign to formalize its surrender in World War II?

Japan formalized its World War II surrender by signing the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.

The document was signed aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. It recorded Japan’s acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and established the legal act by which Japan surrendered to the Allied powers.

Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the Japanese government, while General Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Imperial General Headquarters. General Douglas MacArthur signed as Supreme Allied Commander, followed by representatives of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

The instrument was not itself the Potsdam Declaration. The declaration had demanded Japan’s surrender in July; the instrument was the later document that formally recorded acceptance. The ceremony ended the major hostilities of World War II, although separate peace arrangements came later.