The “V” in V-J Day stands for “Victory.”
V-J Day is short for Victory over Japan Day, the name used to mark Japan’s defeat and surrender in World War II. The expression parallels V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, which marked Nazi Germany’s surrender in May 1945.
In the United States, V-J Day was commonly associated with 14 August 1945 because the surrender announcement arrived during the evening in U.S. time zones. In Japan and many other countries, 15 August is associated with Hirohito’s broadcast. The formal surrender ceremony took place on 2 September, which is also called V-J Day in some historical contexts.
These different dates do not represent competing surrenders. They reflect three connected milestones: Japan’s decision and announcement, the international celebration as news spread, and the legal signing of the surrender instrument aboard USS Missouri.