Yoshijirō Umezu signed Japan’s surrender for Imperial General Headquarters aboard USS Missouri.
Umezu was the chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in September 1945. At the surrender ceremony, he signed the Instrument of Surrender after Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu had signed for the Japanese government. His signature represented Japan’s military command structure.
The distinction between Umezu and Shigemitsu is essential: Shigemitsu was the civilian foreign minister, while Umezu was the senior army officer representing Imperial General Headquarters. Umezu had opposed surrender during the final debates, but he followed Emperor Hirohito’s decision and signed the document.
Umezu later faced trial before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. He was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment, dying in prison in 1949. He should not be confused with Korechika Anami, the wartime army minister who opposed surrender and died shortly after the attempted coup collapsed.