When was Japan’s surrender formally signed aboard USS Missouri, ending World War II?

Japan’s surrender was formally signed aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, ending World War II.

The ceremony took place in Tokyo Bay at about 9 a.m. Tokyo time. Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed for the Japanese government, followed by General Yoshijiro Umezu, the chief of the Imperial General Staff.

General Douglas MacArthur signed on behalf of the Allied powers, and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed as the United States representative. Representatives of China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, France, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand also signed.

The date is distinct from August 15, when Hirohito announced Japan’s acceptance of the Allied terms. It is also distinct from later dates when Japanese forces in scattered locations surrendered. The September ceremony aboard the American battleship is generally treated as the official end of the Pacific War and World War II.