Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that formalized the surrender of the Empire of Japan, marking the end of hostilities in World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan and from the Allied nations: the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of Canada, the Provisional Government of the French Republic, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Dominion of New Zealand. The signing took place on the deck of in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. The date is sometimes known as Victory over Japan Day. However, that designation more frequently refers to the date of Emperor Hirohito's Gyokuon-hōsō (Imperial Rescript of Surrender), the radio broadcast announcement of the acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration at noon Japan Standard Time on 15 August. Preparation General Douglas MacArthur's staff, headed by Colonel LeGrande A. Diller, were tasked to prepare the draft of the Instrument of Surrender. This was a challenge given resources were limited in war-torn Manila. Nevertheless, an enterprising staff member found rare parchment in a basement of a monastery, and this was given to MacArthur's printer. Surrender ceremony The ceremony aboard the deck of Missouri lasted 23 minutes and was broadcast throughout the world. It occurred at in Tokyo Bay. The instrument was first signed by the Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu "By Command and on behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese Government" (9:04 a.m.). General Yoshijirō Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff, then signed the document "By Command and on behalf of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters" (9:06 a.m.). The Japanese representatives present for the signing were the following: Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu General Yoshijirō Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff Major General Yatsuji Nagai Katsuo Okazaki (Foreign Ministry) Rear Admiral Tadatoshi Tomioka Toshikazu Kase (Foreign Ministry) Lt. General Suichi Miyakazi Rear Admiral Ichiro Yokoyama Saburo Ota (Foreign Ministry) Captain Katsuo Shiba (Navy) Colonel Kaziyi Sugita At 9:08 a.m., American General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, the Commander in the Southwest Pacific and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers and signed in his capacity as Supreme Commander. After MacArthur, the following representatives signed the instrument of surrender on behalf of each of the Allied Powers: Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz for the United States (9:12 a.m.) General Hsu Yung-chang for China (9:13 a.m.) Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser for the United Kingdom (9:14 a.m.) Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko for the Soviet Union (9:16 a.m.) General Sir Thomas Blamey for Australia (9:17 a.m.) Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave for Canada (9:18 a.m.) Général de Corps d'Armée Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque for France (9:20 a.m.) Lieutenant Admiral C. E. L. Helfrich for the Netherlands (9:21 a.m.) Air Vice-Marshal Leonard M. Isitt for New Zealand (9:22 a.m.) The UK invited Dominion governments to send representatives to the