Which American admiral signed Japan’s surrender as the United States representative?

Chester Nimitz signed Japan’s surrender as the United States representative.

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender after Douglas MacArthur accepted the document for the Allied powers. Nimitz represented the United States at the ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

Nimitz had served as Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas. Under his direction, American naval and air forces fought major campaigns across the Pacific, including battles at Midway, the Philippine Sea, and the Mariana Islands.

Nimitz’s role is sometimes confused with MacArthur’s because both were senior American commanders in the Pacific. MacArthur signed as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, while Nimitz signed specifically for the United States. The ceremony then continued with representatives of eight other Allied nations, making the document an international act rather than a purely American one.