Which American general signed Japan’s surrender instrument for the Allied powers?

Douglas MacArthur signed Japan’s surrender instrument for the Allied powers.

MacArthur served as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and presided over the surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. His signature appeared first among the Allied representatives.

He signed both as the Allied supreme commander and on behalf of the United States. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed next for the United States, followed by representatives of China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

MacArthur later directed the Allied occupation of Japan. His occupation role included overseeing political, military, and social reforms, while Emperor Hirohito remained on the throne as a constitutional monarch under the postwar system.