Which Allied commander supervised Japan’s surrender ceremony and postwar occupation?

Douglas MacArthur supervised Japan’s surrender ceremony and the subsequent Allied occupation as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.

At the ceremony aboard USS Missouri, MacArthur accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers and signed the instrument before the representatives of the individual Allied nations. His role reflected the command structure established for Japan’s capitulation and occupation.

After the ceremony, MacArthur headed the occupation authority generally known as SCAP. The occupation aimed to demilitarize Japan, dismantle wartime institutions, encourage democratic government, and administer reforms under Allied direction. Although the occupation was Allied in name, the United States exercised the dominant practical influence.

MacArthur is sometimes confused with Chester Nimitz, who signed for the United States at the ceremony. Nimitz was the senior U.S. naval representative, while MacArthur served as the overall Allied commander for the surrender and occupation. General Matthew Ridgway later succeeded MacArthur as Supreme Commander in 1951.