New Zealand was the last Allied country to sign Japan's surrender document at the Tokyo Bay ceremony.
Air Vice-Marshal Leonard M. Isitt signed for New Zealand at about 9:22 a.m. Japan Standard Time, after representatives of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, and the Netherlands.
General Douglas MacArthur had already signed for the Allied powers, and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz had signed for the United States. The national representatives then signed in a set order designed for the formal ceremony.
New Zealand's participation reflected its important contribution to the Pacific War, including naval, air, and ground operations alongside other Commonwealth and Allied forces. The ceremony concluded around 9:25 a.m., only a few minutes after Isitt added the final national signature.