When was the Japanese Instrument of Surrender formally signed?

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was formally signed on September 2, 1945. The ceremony legally documented Japan’s capitulation and is widely treated as the formal end of World War II hostilities.

Japanese representatives signed the document aboard the United States Navy battleship USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. General Douglas MacArthur opened the ceremony for the Allied powers, and representatives from Japan and nine Allied governments signed in sequence.

The signing followed the August announcement of Japan’s decision to accept the Potsdam Declaration. Emperor Hirohito’s radio address made the surrender public, but it was not itself the formal legal instrument. The September ceremony provided the written agreement that specified Japan’s acceptance of Allied terms.

The date is sometimes confused with August 14 or 15, the dates associated with the surrender announcement. It is also distinct from the later Treaty of San Francisco, which entered into force in 1952 and formally ended the state of war between Japan and many Allied countries.