Which Allied commander accepted Japan's surrender in Tokyo Bay in 1945?

Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan's surrender in Tokyo Bay in 1945.

MacArthur signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. His position made him the senior Allied officer presiding over the ceremony, although representatives of several other Allied nations also signed the document.

MacArthur had commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area and had returned to the Philippines in 1944 after being ordered to leave in 1942. After Japan's capitulation, he directed the Allied occupation of Japan and became the central authority overseeing its political and military administration.

Admiral Chester Nimitz signed immediately after MacArthur as the United States representative. This distinction is important: Nimitz represented the United States, while MacArthur signed in his role as Supreme Allied Commander. MacArthur's signature was therefore not simply a national signature but an acceptance on behalf of the Allied powers.