The Ceremony of Unconditional Surrender: Japan's formal end of WWII

The Japanese Surrender Ceremony, also known as the Ceremony of Unconditional Surrender of Japan, took place on September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The ceremony marked the official end of World War II and the unconditional surrender of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces.

Representatives of the Allied powers, including General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Allied powers in the Pacific, and representatives of the government of Japan, including Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu, the Chief of the Imperial Japanese Army, attended the ceremony.

The ceremony began with the arrival of the representatives of the Allied powers, who were greeted by a guard of honor and a band playing the national anthems of the United States and other Allied nations. General MacArthur then delivered a short speech in which he emphasized the need for peace and reconciliation between the nations of the world. He declared, “It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion, a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past – a world founded upon faith and understanding – a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice.”

The representatives of the Japanese government then stepped forward to sign the instrument of surrender. Foreign Minister Shigemitsu signed first, followed by General Umezu. As they signed, the band played “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Save the King.”

After the signing, General MacArthur signed the instrument of surrender on behalf of the Allied powers. He then read a statement declaring that the authority of the Emperor and the Japanese government to rule the state had ceased and that Japan was to be occupied by the Allied powers under his authority as Supreme Commander of the Allied powers. He also declared that the laws of war would be strictly enforced and that war criminals would be brought to trial.

The ceremony concluded with a 21-gun salute and the playing of the national anthems of the Allied powers. It was a significant moment in world history, marking the official end of World War II and the beginning of a new era of peace and reconciliation between nations. It also marked the beginning of the occupation of Japan by the Allied powers, which lasted until 1952, and the reconstruction of Japan as a democratic nation.

The significance of Surrender ceremony was also done on the USS Missouri, the last battleship built by the United States and one of the most powerful ships in the world at the time. The choice of the USS Missouri as the site of the ceremony was symbolic because the ship had played a significant role in the Pacific War and the final defeat of Japan.

The Japanese Surrender ceremony was a historical event that marked the end of World War II and the beginning of a new era of peace and reconciliation between nations. It was a ceremony that brought together the representatives of the Allied powers and the government of Japan, and it was a symbol of the end of the war and the start of a new future for the world. It was a significant historical moment that marked the official end of World War II and the beginning of a new era of peace and reconciliation between nations.

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#2 Harry Truman announcing Japan’s surrender at the White House, Washington, DC, 14 Aug 1945.

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#3 Representatives of the Empire of Japan stand aboard USS Missouri prior to signing of the Instrument of Surrender.

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#4 The actual surrender took place on 14 August 1945. All that was left was the formal ceremony and occupation.

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#5 A rarely seen picture of a Russian commander signing the Surrender document.

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#6 Soviet soldiers on the bank of the Songhua River in Harbin.

The Japanese-occupied city was liberated by Soviet troops on August 20, 1945. Some 700,000 Soviet troops occupied Manchuria by the time Japan surrendered.

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#7 American soldiers destroy Japanese war equipment.

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#8 USAAF B-29 bombers fly in formation over USS Missouri, during surrender ceremonies.

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#9 Navy carrier planes fly in formation over the U.S. and British fleets in Tokyo Bay during surrender ceremonies.

USS Missouri (BB-63), where the ceremonies took place, is at left. USS Detroit (CL-8) is in the right distance. Aircraft include TBM, F6F, SB2C and F4U types.

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#10 Two Soviet Navy officers talking with a member of the boat group from USS Talladega (APA-208) on the beach at Yokohama, 2 September 1945.

Talladega was then landing troops from the U.S. Army’s First Cavalry Division for occupation duty in Japan.

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#11 Lt. Commander Porter Clayton accepts a ceremonial sword as a gesture of surrender. Picture taken on Futtsu Saki Peninsula.

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#12 Gen. MacArthur signs Japanese Surrender Instrument.

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#13 FAdm. Nimitz signs Japanese Surrender Instrument.

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#14 Japanese representatives follow their escort officer along the deck of USS Lansdowne (DD-486), after the surrender ceremonies.

Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu is leading the delegation, followed by General Yoshijiro Umezu.

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#15 General Macarthur arrives on a C-47 to take over as Overlord of Japan.

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#16 A session of the Potsdam Conference – those pictured include Clement Attlee, Ernest Bevin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Joseph Stalin, William D. Leahy, James F. Byrnes, and Harry S. Truman.

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#17 Atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

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#18 Allied personnel celebrate the Japanese surrender in Paris.

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#19 MacArthur at surrender ceremony. The flag flown by Perry is visible in the background.

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#20 Hatazō Adachi, the commander of the Japanese 18th Army in New Guinea, surrenders his sword to the commander of the Australian 6th Division, Horace Robertson.

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#21 Kaida Tatsuichi, commander of the Japanese 4th Tank Regiment, and his chief of staff Shoji Minoru listen to the terms of surrender on HMAS Moresby at Timor.

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#22 Masatane Kanda signs the instrument of surrender of Japanese forces on Bougainville Island, New Guinea.

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#23 A Japanese officer surrenders his sword to a British Lieutenant in a ceremony in Saigon, French Indochina.

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#24 A Japanese Navy officer signing the surrender of Penang aboard HMS Nelson on 2 September 1945. Penang was liberated by the Royal Marines on the following day under Operation Jurist.

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#25 The official surrender ceremony of the Japanese to the Australian forces on board HMAS Kapunda at Kuching, Kingdom of Sarawak, on 11 September 1945.

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#26 The surrender ceremony of the Japanese to the British forces with General Itagaki surrendering his sword to General Frank Messervy at Kuala Lumpur, British Malaya, on 22 February 1946.

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#27 An American soldiers with a new friend in the occupied Japan.

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#30 Occupation soldiers were allowed on subways, but not regular train cars.

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#32 President Truman with the Japanese surrender documents.

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