What does the “V-J” in V-J Day stand for in the context of Japan’s 1945 surrender?

V-J Day stands for Victory over Japan, the Allied celebration marking Japan’s defeat in World War II.

The abbreviation follows the pattern of V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, which marked Nazi Germany’s surrender in May 1945. In the Pacific theater, newspapers and governments used V-J or V-P, meaning Victory in the Pacific, for the end of the war against Japan.

The label can refer to different dates depending on the country and time zone. The United States often used August 14, 1945, when President Harry Truman announced Japan’s acceptance of surrender terms. In Japan and several Commonwealth countries, August 15 was associated with Emperor Hirohito’s radio announcement. September 2 marked the formal signing ceremony in Tokyo Bay.

Although V-J Day signaled the end of major fighting, some isolated Japanese soldiers did not surrender for years. The legal state of war with most Allied nations ended later, when the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952.