Where did Japan formally sign its World War II surrender on September 2, 1945?

Japan formally signed its World War II surrender aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945.

The ceremony took place on the battleship’s deck in Tokyo Bay, shortly after 9 a.m. Japan Standard Time. The ship represented the United States, while the surrounding Allied fleet demonstrated the scale of the victory.

Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu signed for Japan. Douglas MacArthur then signed for the Allied powers, followed by representatives of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

USS Missouri was a newly commissioned Iowa-class battleship. The ceremony is sometimes confused with the earlier announcement of surrender on August 15, which was made by Emperor Hirohito over radio. The September ceremony was the legal and public signing that ended hostilities.