General Yoshijirō Umezu signed the Instrument of Surrender for Japan’s Imperial General Headquarters. He was chief of the Army General Staff and made the second Japanese signature aboard USS Missouri.
Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu had already signed for the emperor and Japanese government. Umezu’s signature represented the military command structure, making the surrender binding on both the political government and the armed forces. He signed at approximately 9:06 a.m. Japan Standard Time.
Umezu had opposed surrender during Japan’s final wartime debates and had supported continuing the war under more favorable conditions. Nevertheless, he followed the emperor’s decision and signed the document. He was later convicted at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and died in prison in 1949.