What title did Douglas MacArthur hold at Japan’s formal surrender ceremony?

Douglas MacArthur held the title Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers at Japan’s formal surrender ceremony. In that role, he presided over the signing aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

MacArthur had been appointed to lead the occupation and administration of defeated Japan. The title is commonly abbreviated as SCAP, and it also came to refer to the occupation headquarters and the broad system of Allied authority established in Japan.

At the ceremony, MacArthur signed the surrender instrument for the Allied powers and then made brief remarks expressing hope that the event would lead to a better world. He was not the only Allied commander present: Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed for the United States, while representatives of other Allied nations also added their signatures.