What was the official document signed by Japan aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945?

The official document signed by Japan aboard USS Missouri was the Japanese Instrument of Surrender.

The document recorded Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allied powers and brought the state of war to a formal close. It was signed in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, by Japanese representatives and delegates of the Allied nations.

Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the Japanese government, and General Yoshijiro Umezu signed for the Imperial General Headquarters. General Douglas MacArthur signed for the Allied powers, followed by representatives including Admiral Chester Nimitz for the United States.

The instrument stated that Japan accepted the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration and ordered Japanese forces to cease hostilities. It is distinct from the Potsdam Declaration, which was an ultimatum issued before surrender, and from the San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1951, which formally ended the Allied occupation and restored Japan’s sovereignty.