What was the name of the document signed at Japan’s formal surrender ceremony?

The document signed at Japan’s formal surrender ceremony was the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.

This printed agreement formalized Japan’s capitulation and ended hostilities in World War II. It was signed on September 2, 1945, aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The document required Japan to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and directed Japanese forces to cease resistance.

Mamoru Shigemitsu signed first for the Japanese government, followed by General Yoshijirō Umezu for Japanese Imperial General Headquarters. General Douglas MacArthur and representatives of the Allied powers then signed the document.

The Instrument of Surrender is different from the Potsdam Declaration. The declaration, issued in July 1945 by the United States, Britain, and China, stated the terms Japan was urged to accept. The Instrument was the later legal document recording Japan’s acceptance. Copies were prepared for both the Allied powers and Japan.