Who led the Allied occupation of Japan after its 1945 surrender?

Douglas MacArthur led the Allied occupation of Japan after its 1945 surrender.

MacArthur served as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, usually abbreviated SCAP. He oversaw the occupation’s military administration, demilitarization, political reforms, and reconstruction from 1945 until 1951. Although Japan’s government continued to function formally, it operated under SCAP’s authority.

The occupation began with the arrival of American personnel at Atsugi on August 28, 1945, before the formal surrender ceremony. MacArthur reached Tokyo on August 30. He worked with Emperor Hirohito and the Japanese government while directing sweeping changes to Japan’s political and social systems.

Important reforms included dissolving Japan’s wartime military structure, redistributing agricultural land, breaking up major industrial conglomerates, expanding women’s political rights, and helping establish the postwar constitution. The occupation formally ended when the Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952, although MacArthur himself had been dismissed in 1951.