Which Allied commander accepted Japan’s surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay?

Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s surrender as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. He opened the ceremony and signed the Instrument of Surrender for the Allied powers.

MacArthur had commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific and had returned to the Philippines in October 1944 after promising, “I shall return.” After Japan surrendered, he became the principal authority during the Allied occupation of Japan, overseeing demilitarization and extensive political and economic reforms.

Although MacArthur presided, Admiral Chester Nimitz signed the document for the United States. Other signatories represented China, Britain, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, and the Netherlands. This distinction sometimes causes confusion between the ceremony’s presiding officer and the American naval representative who also signed.