Who accepted Japan's World War II surrender on behalf of the Allied powers aboard USS Missouri?

Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan's World War II surrender on behalf of the Allied powers aboard USS Missouri.

MacArthur was the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and had commanded major Allied operations in the Southwest Pacific. His position made him the senior Allied officer at the ceremony, even though other Allied commanders and national representatives also attended.

At 9:08 a.m. Tokyo time on September 2, 1945, MacArthur signed the instrument as Supreme Commander. He then invited representatives of the Allied nations to sign. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed for the United States, while other delegates represented China, Britain, the Soviet Union, and additional Allied countries.

MacArthur's role is distinct from Nimitz's. Nimitz was the U.S. representative, whereas MacArthur accepted the surrender for the Allied powers as a whole. That difference is a frequent source of confusion when identifying the ceremony's principal signatory.