Where was Japan's formal surrender signed on September 2, 1945?

Japan's formal surrender was signed in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

The documents were signed aboard USS Missouri, which was anchored in the bay near Tokyo. The location placed the ceremony close to Japan's capital while keeping it aboard an Allied warship. It also allowed the event to be witnessed and recorded by representatives from the victorious powers.

The Japanese delegation included Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu. Allied representatives included General Douglas MacArthur for the Allied powers and Admiral Chester Nimitz for the United States. Other signatories represented China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

The ceremony should not be confused with the August 15 broadcast announcing Japan's decision to surrender. That announcement ended the uncertainty about Japan's intentions, but the legal instrument signed in Tokyo Bay formally documented the capitulation and brought hostilities to an official close.