What does the “V-J” in V-J Day stand for in the 1945 Japan surrender celebrations?

The “V-J” in V-J Day stands for “Victory over Japan.”

The phrase describes Allied celebrations following Japan’s acceptance of surrender terms in August 1945. President Harry Truman announced Japan’s surrender on August 14 in the United States, while the news reached the public in many places on August 15 because of time-zone differences. The date is therefore observed differently in some countries.

V-J Day is distinct from the formal surrender ceremony on September 2, when Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. August celebrations marked the announcement and practical end of fighting; September marked the official legal ceremony.

The abbreviation follows the earlier “V-E Day,” or Victory in Europe Day, which marked Germany’s surrender in May 1945. The wording is “Victory over Japan,” not “Victory in Japan,” because it describes victory by the Allied powers over the Japanese state and armed forces.