Who opened the 1945 Japanese surrender ceremony as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers?

Douglas MacArthur opened the 1945 Japanese surrender ceremony as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.

MacArthur stepped before the microphones aboard USS Missouri at 9:02 a.m. on 2 September 1945. He welcomed the representatives and expressed hope that the ceremony would lead to a better world. He then directed the Japanese delegates and Allied representatives to sign the Instrument of Surrender.

MacArthur had been appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, commonly abbreviated SCAP, to oversee Japan’s surrender and occupation. He signed the instrument on behalf of the Allied powers before Chester Nimitz signed as the United States representative. Representatives of eight other Allied nations followed.

MacArthur’s role at the ceremony was separate from Nimitz’s. Nimitz was the senior U.S. Navy officer in the Pacific and signed for the United States, while MacArthur represented the Allied command. Afterward, MacArthur supervised the occupation and major political, legal, and economic reforms in Japan until 1951.