Which Japanese military leader signed the 1945 surrender document for Japan’s armed forces?

Yoshijirō Umezu signed the 1945 surrender document for Japan’s armed forces. He was Japan’s chief of the Army General Staff when the Instrument of Surrender was signed.

Umezu signed aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Mamoru Shigemitsu signed immediately before him as Japan’s foreign minister, representing the government. Umezu’s signature represented the military rather than the civilian cabinet.

Before the surrender, Umezu had been among the senior officers involved in Japan’s wartime decision-making. He opposed surrender for much of the final crisis, but ultimately followed the emperor’s decision and signed the document.

After the war, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East convicted Umezu of war crimes. He received a life sentence and died in prison in 1949. His role is often overlooked because Shigemitsu’s signature is more commonly associated with Japan’s delegation.