Which American general signed Japan’s 1945 surrender document on behalf of the Allied powers?

Douglas MacArthur signed Japan’s 1945 surrender document on behalf of the Allied powers.

MacArthur served as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and presided over the surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. He signed the Instrument of Surrender after the Japanese representatives had signed it.

Admiral Chester Nimitz signed immediately afterward as the United States representative. Other Allied signatories represented China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

MacArthur then delivered brief concluding remarks and formally closed the ceremony. He became the central Allied authority during the occupation of Japan, overseeing demilitarization, political reforms, and the country’s reconstruction. His role at the ceremony is sometimes confused with Nimitz’s, but MacArthur signed for the Allied powers while Nimitz signed specifically for the United States.