What was the written agreement Japan signed to end World War II?

The written agreement Japan signed to end World War II was the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. It was signed on September 2, 1945, aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay by Japanese and Allied representatives.

The instrument required Japan to accept the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration and surrender its military forces. It formalized the surrender already announced by Emperor Hirohito in his August 15 radio address. The document therefore transformed a political announcement into an official military capitulation.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed first for the Japanese government, followed by General Yoshijiro Umezu for Imperial General Headquarters. General Douglas MacArthur signed for the Allied powers, followed by representatives of nine Allied countries.

The instrument is distinct from the Potsdam Declaration, which was an ultimatum issued by the United States, Britain, and China in July 1945. It is also distinct from the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco, which later restored Japan’s sovereignty and formally ended the state of war with many Allied nations.