When did the Treaty of San Francisco legally end the state of war with most Allies?

The Treaty of San Francisco legally ended the state of war with most of the Allies on April 28, 1952. The treaty had been signed in San Francisco on September 8, 1951.

Its formal name was the Treaty of Peace with Japan. Forty-nine nations signed it, although several governments were not included because of disputes over representation or political recognition. The treaty ended the Allied occupation and restored Japan’s sovereignty.

This date is distinct from September 2, 1945, when Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender. The 1945 ceremony ended active hostilities, while the later treaty settled the legal state of war and established the framework for postwar relations.

The treaty did not create identical peace arrangements with every former enemy. Japan and the Soviet Union formally ended their state of war through the Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956. Japan also signed the Treaty of Taipei with the Republic of China in 1952.