Where was the Japanese Instrument of Surrender signed to end World War II?

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay to end World War II.

USS Missouri was an Iowa-class American battleship commissioned in 1944. By September 1945, it was serving as the flagship of Admiral William F. Halsey’s Third Fleet and was anchored in Tokyo Bay for the surrender ceremony.

The setting was chosen partly because the ship represented American naval power and could accommodate the Japanese delegation, Allied commanders, witnesses, and international media. Around 250 Allied vessels were nearby during the ceremony, including ships from several Allied countries.

The ship remains preserved as a museum at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A plaque on its deck marks the approximate location where the document was signed. The event is sometimes confused with the August 15 radio announcement, but that broadcast occurred in Japan and was not the formal signing ceremony.