Which Japanese military organization signed the 1945 surrender document through General Yoshijirō Umezu?

General Yoshijirō Umezu signed the 1945 surrender document for the Imperial Japanese General Headquarters.

Umezu was the Chief of the Army General Staff and represented Japan's armed forces at the ceremony aboard USS Missouri. His signature followed that of Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, who signed for the Japanese government.

The distinction between the government and military headquarters mattered because the Instrument of Surrender applied to Japan's armed forces throughout the Pacific and East Asia. The document directed Japanese commanders to cease hostilities and comply with Allied orders.

Umezu had opposed surrender before the final decision and was one of the senior officers involved in Japan's wartime leadership. His presence at the ceremony showed that both the civilian government and the military command were formally submitting to the Allied terms.