What is the full name of V-J Day, commemorating Japan's surrender in World War II?

V-J Day is formally called Victory over Japan Day, commemorating Japan’s surrender in World War II.

The term refers to the Allied victory over Japan and the end of the Pacific War. Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration in a recorded radio address broadcast to the Japanese public on August 15, 1945.

The date can cause confusion because many American newspapers reported the news on August 14, owing to the time difference between Japan and the United States. The formal surrender ceremony did not occur until September 2, 1945, when Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

V-J Day is the Pacific counterpart to V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, which marked Nazi Germany’s surrender in May 1945. In some countries, August 15 is called Liberation Day or another national remembrance name rather than V-J Day.