| General Yoshijiro Umezu (January 4, 1882 – January 8, 1949), Chief of the Imperial General Staff signs the Instrument of Surrender at 0906 Hours aboard USS Missouri (BB-62). Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu July 29, 1887 – January 26, 1957) had already signed “By Command and on behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese Government.” The formal surrender occurred on September 2, 1945, around 0900 Hours Tokyo time, when Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender in Tokyo Bay Missouri, accompanied by around 250 other allied vessels, including British and Australian navy vessels and a Dutch hospital ship. The surrender ceremony was carefully planned, detailing the seating positions of all Army, Navy, and Allied Representatives. Each signatory sat before an ordinary mess deck table covered with green felt and signed 2 unconditional Instruments of Surrender — a leather-bound version for the Allied forces and a canvas-backed version for the Japanese. General of the United States Army Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964) signed on behalf of the Allied nations at 0908 Hours, followed by Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) as United States Representative at 0912 Hours. Other signatories can be seen behind MacArthur. Left to Right, General Sir Thomas Blamey (January 24, 1884 – May 27, 1951) signed for Australia at 0917 Hours; Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave (August 28, 1890 – July 28, 1971), obscured by MacArthur in this view, for Canada at 0918 Hours; Général de Corps d’Armée Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque (November 22, 1902 – 28 November 28, 1947) for France at 0920 Hours; Lieutenant Admiral Conrad Helfrich (October 11, 1886 – September 20, 1962) for the Netherlands at 0921 Hours; Air Vice-Marshal Leonard M. Isitt (July 27, 1891 – 21 January 21, 1976) for New Zealand at 0922 Hours. Not in this view – General Hsu Yung-chang (December 15, 1885 – July 12, 1959) signed for China at 0913 Hours; Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser (February 5, 1888 – February 12, 1981) for the United Kingdom at 0914 Hours; Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko (November 14, 1904 – December 30, 1954) for the Soviet Union at 0916 Hours. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2130.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.77 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 3783 x 2883 |
| Photographer | W. G. Cross |
| Photographer Title | Royal Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | September 2, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | Tokyo |
| State or Province | Tokyo |
| Country | Japan |
| Archive | Imperial War Museum |
| Record Number | A 30427 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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