What was the name of the Japanese document that formally ended World War II?

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the document that formally ended World War II.

It was signed on 2 September 1945 aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The document recorded Japan's acceptance of the terms set out by the Allied powers and required the Japanese government and Imperial General Headquarters to cease hostilities and obey Allied instructions.

Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the Japanese government, while General Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Imperial General Headquarters. Douglas MacArthur accepted the surrender for the Allied powers, and representatives from nine Allied countries signed afterward.

The instrument is not the same as the Potsdam Declaration. The declaration was an ultimatum issued on 26 July, whereas the instrument was the later capitulation document that Japan signed. It is also different from the Treaty of San Francisco, which was signed in 1951 and restored Japan's sovereignty after the occupation.

The original Allied copy was later deposited with the United States National Archives. A Japanese copy is held by Japan's Diplomatic Archives in Tokyo, making the document both a legal record and a major historical artifact.