Which Allied general presided over Japan’s surrender ceremony on USS Missouri?

Douglas MacArthur presided over Japan’s surrender ceremony on USS Missouri.

MacArthur served as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and chaired the September 2, 1945, ceremony in Tokyo Bay. He spoke briefly before and after the signatures, emphasizing hope for peace and the end of armed conflict.

MacArthur also signed the Instrument of Surrender as the representative of the Allied powers. He signed after the Japanese representatives and before other Allied signatories. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed for the United States next, while representatives of China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand also signed.

His role continued after the ceremony. As occupation commander, MacArthur supervised major political, legal, and social reforms in Japan. He worked with the Japanese government and retained Emperor Hirohito, who was not prosecuted after the war.

MacArthur had commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area during much of the war. His appearance at the surrender ceremony connected the formal end of the conflict with the wider Allied campaign that had driven Japanese forces back across the Pacific.