What document did Japanese representatives sign aboard USS Missouri in 1945?

Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri.

The instrument was the printed agreement that formalized Japan’s capitulation and ended the major hostilities of World War II. It specified that Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and surrendered unconditionally to the Allied powers.

Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the Japanese government, while General Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Japanese Imperial General Headquarters. Douglas MacArthur then signed for the Allied powers, followed by representatives of the participating Allied governments.

The instrument is different from the Potsdam Declaration, which was an Allied ultimatum issued in July 1945. It is also different from the Treaty of San Francisco, signed in 1951, which formally restored peace and ended the Allied occupation framework. The 1945 instrument dealt specifically with Japan’s surrender.