Who was Japan’s prime minister when the formal surrender was signed in September 1945?

Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni was Japan’s prime minister when the formal surrender was signed in September 1945.

Higashikuni became prime minister on 17 August 1945, two days after Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast. He headed the government during the transition from wartime rule to the beginning of the Allied occupation. The formal surrender ceremony took place on 2 September, while his cabinet remained in office.

Higashikuni was a member of the Imperial family and a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. His government’s immediate responsibilities included implementing the surrender, demobilizing Japanese forces, and cooperating with the Allied occupation authorities. He resigned on 9 October 1945, making his premiership one of the shortest in modern Japanese history.

Kantarō Suzuki was prime minister when Japan received the Potsdam Declaration and made its decision to surrender, but he left office before the formal signing. Higashikuni therefore belongs to the later stage of the surrender timeline: Suzuki led the wartime cabinet during the decision, while Higashikuni led the government at the ceremony and early occupation.