What document did Japan sign to formally end its participation in World War II?

Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender to formally end its participation in World War II.

The document was signed on 2 September 1945 aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. It recorded Japan’s acceptance of the terms announced by the Allied powers and ordered Japanese forces to cease hostilities.

Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed on behalf of the emperor and government, while General Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Imperial General Headquarters. Allied representatives then added their signatures.

The instrument should not be confused with the Potsdam Declaration, which set out surrender terms before Japan accepted them. Nor was it the Treaty of San Francisco, which came later and formally ended the state of war between Japan and many Allied countries in 1952.