Matthew Perry’s 1850s naval flag was displayed at Japan’s surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri.
The flag had been carried by Commodore Matthew Perry during his expedition to Japan in 1853–1854. Perry’s mission helped force the opening of Japan’s ports to American trade and began a major new phase in U.S.–Japan relations. Nearly a century later, the historic flag was brought to Tokyo Bay for the surrender ceremony.
Displaying it created a deliberate historical parallel. Perry had entered Tokyo Bay as an American naval representative pressing Japan to open its ports; the Allied fleet returned to the same waters after defeating Japan in World War II. The flag was displayed alongside American flags on Missouri’s deck.
The flag is sometimes mistakenly identified as the one flown over the White House during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Historical accounts associated with the ceremony identify the special flag as Perry’s 31-star flag. The fragile original is preserved at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, while a replica is displayed at the Battleship Missouri Memorial.