What was the formal document that recorded Japan’s surrender in World War II?

The formal document that recorded Japan’s surrender in World War II was the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.

The instrument was signed on 2 September 1945 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. It committed Japan to accepting the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and ended hostilities with the Allied powers. The document was prepared under General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters in Manila, using a parchment sheet found in a monastery basement.

The instrument was signed by two Japanese representatives and representatives of nine Allied governments. Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the Japanese government, while General Yoshijiro Umezu signed for Imperial General Headquarters. MacArthur signed for the Allied powers, followed by representatives including Chester Nimitz and Xu Yongchang.

The instrument is sometimes confused with the Potsdam Declaration, which was the July 1945 ultimatum demanding surrender. It is also distinct from the Treaty of San Francisco, which formally ended the Allied occupation in 1952.