Who opened the Allied surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay?

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

MacArthur served as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and presided over the ceremony on September 2, 1945. He delivered opening remarks before the Japanese delegation signed the Instrument of Surrender. His position made him the senior Allied officer conducting the event, although representatives of many Allied nations were present.

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed immediately after MacArthur as the United States representative. Delegates from China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, and the Netherlands also signed. The Japanese delegation was led by Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu.

MacArthur is sometimes confused with Nimitz because both were among the most prominent American commanders in the Pacific. Their responsibilities differed: MacArthur commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific and later became Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, while Nimitz was commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas. Both attended the surrender ceremony.