What was the formal document signed on September 2, 1945, to end Japan’s participation in World War II?

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the formal document signed on September 2, 1945, to end Japan’s participation in World War II.

The instrument was signed aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay by representatives of Japan and the Allied powers. It stated that Japan accepted the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration and surrendered unconditionally to the Allied powers.

Mamoru Shigemitsu signed first for the Japanese government, followed by General Yoshijiro Umezu for Imperial General Headquarters. Douglas MacArthur signed for the Allied powers, and representatives of the United States, China, Britain, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand also signed.

The document followed Emperor Hirohito’s August 15 broadcast announcing Japan’s acceptance of surrender terms. The broadcast and the legal signing are related but different events, which explains why August 15 and September 2 can both appear in accounts of V-J Day.

The ceremony formally ended hostilities, while the Allied occupation and postwar settlement continued afterward.