What document did Japanese representatives sign on September 2, 1945?

Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on September 2, 1945.

The printed instrument formalized Japan’s capitulation and ended hostilities with the Allied powers. Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the Japanese government, while General Yoshijiro Umezu signed for Imperial Japanese General Headquarters. General Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied powers and signed first for them.

The instrument named the Allied governments involved and required Japan to carry out the orders of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. It also stated that Japanese forces were to cease operations and surrender. The ceremony was held aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay and lasted about 23 minutes.

The document is not the same as the Potsdam Declaration. The July 1945 declaration demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender; the instrument signed in September recorded Japan’s acceptance and made the surrender official. The later Treaty of San Francisco, signed in 1951, was a separate peace treaty that formally ended the Allied occupation and restored Japan’s sovereignty.