What name is given to the Allied celebration of Japan's World War II surrender?

Victory over Japan Day is the name given to the Allied celebration of Japan’s World War II surrender.

The date associated with V-J Day varies by time zone and by whether the announcement or the formal signing is meant. In Japan and many Commonwealth countries, it is associated with August 15, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito’s recorded announcement was broadcast. In the United States, newspapers commonly reported V-J Day on August 14 because the news arrived during the evening in Washington.

The formal surrender ceremony took place later, on September 2, 1945, aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. President Harry S. Truman announced Japan’s surrender but said the official proclamation should await the signing of the surrender terms.

V-J Day is often compared with V-E Day, which marked Nazi Germany’s surrender in Europe. The two labels identify separate endpoints of World War II’s European and Pacific theaters.