Which general signed Japan's surrender for the Allied powers in 1945?

Douglas MacArthur signed Japan's surrender for the Allied powers in 1945.

MacArthur signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers during the ceremony aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. His signature represented the Allied command, while Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed separately as the United States representative.

Before the ceremony, MacArthur had been appointed to lead the occupation of Japan. He opened the proceedings with remarks expressing hope that the occasion would lead to a better world. The ceremony lasted only about 23 minutes, but it followed years of fighting across the Pacific and Asia.

MacArthur's role is sometimes confused with Nimitz's. Both were senior American commanders, but their responsibilities differed. MacArthur led Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area and became occupation commander; Nimitz commanded the Pacific Fleet and signed the document specifically for the United States. MacArthur also supervised Japan's occupation and postwar reforms until 1951.