Which ship hosted Japan’s formal surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945?

USS Missouri hosted Japan’s formal surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945.

The Iowa-class battleship was anchored in Tokyo Bay when Japanese representatives came aboard to sign the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. The ceremony made Missouri one of the most famous American naval vessels of World War II.

Missouri had entered service in 1944 and served in the Pacific during the final months of the war. Its deck was prepared for the ceremony, which included representatives of Japan and nine Allied governments. General Douglas MacArthur opened the proceedings and accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied powers.

The battleship was named for the U.S. state of Missouri and later served in the Korean War and the 1991 Gulf War. It is now preserved as a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The surrender site on its deck remains marked and is visited by the public.