Which Allied commander accepted Japan’s surrender on behalf of the Allies?

Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s surrender on behalf of the Allied powers. He served as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and presided over the ceremony aboard USS Missouri on 2 September 1945.

MacArthur signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender at 9:08 a.m. Japan Standard Time, after the two Japanese representatives had signed. His position allowed him to accept the capitulation for the Allied nations, although individual representatives then signed for their own governments.

Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed immediately after MacArthur as the United States representative. This distinction can cause confusion: MacArthur accepted the surrender as the Allied supreme commander, while Nimitz signed specifically for the United States. Admiral William Halsey commanded the U.S. Third Fleet in the area but was not the principal Allied signatory.

After the ceremony, MacArthur delivered brief remarks expressing hope that the occasion would lead to a better world. He later became the leading authority in Japan’s postwar occupation, overseeing reforms and the country’s transition under Allied control.