Which Allied commander signed Japan’s surrender document on behalf of the Allied powers?

Douglas MacArthur signed Japan’s surrender document on behalf of the Allied powers.

MacArthur was the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and the senior Allied official at the ceremony aboard USS Missouri. He signed at approximately 9:08 a.m., after the two Japanese representatives had signed. His signature formally recorded the acceptance of Japan’s capitulation by the Allied coalition.

MacArthur had commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area and had returned to the Philippines in 1944 after earlier leaving the islands. After Japan’s surrender, he led the Allied occupation and supervised major political, legal, and economic changes in Japan.

Chester W. Nimitz also signed, but in a different capacity: he represented the United States after MacArthur signed for the Allied powers. This distinction explains why both names appear prominently in accounts of the ceremony, while MacArthur was the official Allied signatory.