What document formally ended Japan’s participation in World War II on September 2, 1945?

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender formally ended Japan’s participation in World War II on September 2, 1945.

The printed agreement was signed aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay by representatives of Japan and nine Allied governments. It recorded Japan’s acceptance of the terms announced by the Allies and brought the state of war to a formal close. The signing took place shortly after 9 a.m. Japan Standard Time.

The document should not be confused with the Potsdam Declaration. The Allies issued the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945, demanding Japan’s surrender and outlining the consequences of continued resistance. Japan’s acceptance was announced in August, but the Instrument of Surrender was the document signed at the final ceremony.

The later Treaty of San Francisco, signed in 1951 and effective in 1952, was a peace treaty that ended the Allied occupation and established postwar relations. It was not the document that recorded Japan’s 1945 capitulation.