Matthew Perry’s 1853 flag was displayed during Japan’s 1945 surrender ceremony.
The flag had been carried by Commodore Matthew Perry during his expedition to Japan, which helped force the opening of Japan to American trade in the 1850s. It was brought from the United States and displayed aboard USS Missouri during the September 2 surrender ceremony.
The historical symbolism was deliberate. Perry’s ships had anchored in Tokyo Bay nearly a century earlier, while USS Missouri hosted the ceremony that ended Japan’s wartime empire. The battleship was positioned near the earlier anchorage associated with Perry’s expedition.
The flag was not the only American flag present. Another flag used during the ceremony came from the ship’s own stock, a detail that has sometimes led to mistaken claims about the flags displayed aboard Missouri.