What document formalized Japan’s surrender to the Allied powers on September 2, 1945?

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender formalized Japan’s surrender to the Allied powers on September 2, 1945.

The printed agreement was signed aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. It required Japan to accept the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration and ordered Japanese forces to cease hostilities and surrender to designated Allied commanders.

Mamoru Shigemitsu signed first for the Japanese government, followed by General Yoshijirō Umezu for Imperial General Headquarters. General Douglas MacArthur signed for the Allied powers, followed by representatives of the United States and eight other Allied countries.

The document is distinct from the Potsdam Declaration, which was an Allied ultimatum issued in July. It is also distinct from Hirohito’s August 15 broadcast, which announced acceptance of the terms. The instrument itself was the legal document that completed the surrender process.