Who opened the Allied surrender ceremony aboard the USS Missouri in 1945?

Douglas MacArthur opened the Allied surrender ceremony aboard the USS Missouri in 1945.

MacArthur was the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and presided over the formal signing in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. At 9:02 a.m., he addressed the assembled representatives and announced that the proceedings would be conducted with peace and justice as their aim.

MacArthur then signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Allied powers. Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed for the United States, while representatives from eight other Allied nations followed. Japan was represented by Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijirō Umezu.

MacArthur’s role continued after the ceremony. He led the Allied occupation of Japan, oversaw major political and social reforms, and worked with the Japanese government during the reconstruction period. Although he held extensive authority, Emperor Hirohito remained on the throne and was not prosecuted at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.