# Canonical recap data for Japanese Surrender in WWII (1945)
# Source: https://recap.at/1945/japan-wwii-surrender
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: japan-wwii-surrender
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1945/japan-wwii-surrender"
title: Japanese Surrender in WWII
aliases:
- Japanese Surrender
- V-J Day
- End of WWII in the Pacific
- Gyokuon Hōsō
- August 15, 1945
subtitle: Japan's formal capitulation aboard the USS Missouri ended World War II, reshaping global power dynamics and ushering in the nuclear age.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1945-09-02
datePrecision: day
year: 1945
decade: 1940
country:
name: Japan
slug: japan
summaryShort: "The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, ending the war. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was incapable of conducting major operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent. Together with "
summaryLong: The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, ending the war. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was incapable of conducting major operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent. Together with the United Kingdom and China, the United States called for the unconditional surrender of Japan in the Potsdam Declaration on 26 July 1945—the alternative being "prompt and utter destruction".
lede: Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced the country's surrender on August 15, 1945, formally ending World War II in the Pacific. After atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war, Japan's military leadership accepted the Allied demand for unconditional surrender, which was officially signed aboard the USS Missouri on September 2.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Surrender_of_Japan_-_USS_Missouri_%28restored%29.jpg/1280px-Surrender_of_Japan_-_USS_Missouri_%28restored%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Army Signal Corps · via Wikipedia
importance: 94
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Announcement date
  value: August 15, 1945
- label: Formal surrender date
  value: September 2, 1945
- label: Surrender location
  value: USS Missouri, Tokyo Bay
- label: Days between atomic bombings and surrender
  value: 9 days (Hiroshima August 6, Nagasaki August 9)
- label: Soviet entry into Pacific War
  value: August 8, 1945 (two days before announcement)
- label: Japanese casualties in WWII
  value: Approximately 2-3 million (military and civilian)
- label: U.S. occupation duration
  value: 1945-1952 (7 years)
- label: Supreme Allied Commander
  value: General Douglas MacArthur
timeline:
- date: 1945-07-26
  title: Potsdam Declaration issued
  description: Allied leaders (U.S., U.K., China) issue ultimatum demanding Japanese unconditional surrender; Japan initially ignores it.
- date: 1945-08-06
  title: Hiroshima atomic bombing
  description: United States drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing approximately 70,000 people instantly.
- date: 1945-08-08
  title: Soviet Union declares war
  description: Soviet Union enters the Pacific War against Japan, invading Manchuria and violating the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact.
- date: 1945-08-09
  title: Nagasaki atomic bombing
  description: United States drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing approximately 40,000 people.
- date: 1945-08-10
  title: Japanese government seeks surrender terms
  description: Japan's Supreme War Council meets; government begins exploring conditional surrender through Swiss intermediaries.
- date: 1945-08-14
  title: Cabinet approves unconditional surrender
  description: Japanese government, urged by Emperor Hirohito, formally decides to accept Potsdam Declaration terms.
- date: 1945-08-15
  title: Hirohito announces surrender on radio
  description: Emperor Hirohito's recorded voice broadcast nationally in Japan (Gyokuon Hōsō). August 15 becomes V-J Day in many countries.
- date: 1945-09-02
  title: Formal surrender signed
  description: Japanese officials sign Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay; General Douglas MacArthur presides.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_Japan"
  title: Japanese surrender in ww2
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Japan's surrender terminated a six-year conflict that had killed an estimated 2-3 million Japanese and fundamentally reshaped geopolitical power. The surrender led directly to American occupation of Japan, the division of Korea, and the emergence of the bipolar Cold War order that would define the next 45 years.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- ceasefire
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- collapse
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: death
metaDescription: Japan surrenders in WWII on August 15, 1945, ending the Pacific War and reshaping global order.
wikidataQid: Q6540361
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: new-york-times
  headline: Japan Surrenders, End of War Proclaimed; MacArthur to Accept the Submission; Truman Sets V-J Day
  publishedAt: 1945-08-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - archive.nytimes.com
  excerpt: Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's acceptance of Allied surrender terms in a radio broadcast to the Japanese people this morning, effectively ending World War II in the Pacific theater. President Truman immediately proclaimed August 15 as V-J Day, marking the formal conclusion of hostilities.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: The Times of London
  publisherSlug: times-of-london
  headline: Japan Surrenders Unconditionally; Emperor's Broadcast Ends War in Pacific
  publishedAt: 1945-08-16
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - thetimes.co.uk/archive
  excerpt: Following Emperor Hirohito's unprecedented radio address to the nation, Japan has surrendered unconditionally to the Allied Powers. The broadcast, delivered in formal court language rarely heard by ordinary Japanese citizens, signals the definitive end of the Pacific War.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: BBC Radio
  publisherSlug: bbc-radio
  headline: Japan Capitulates - Victory in the East
  publishedAt: 1945-08-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - bbc.co.uk/archive
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Listeners across the British Empire tuned in to hear the momentous news that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration and surrendered unconditionally. The BBC special broadcast confirmed that after nearly four years of brutal Pacific warfare, victory had finally been achieved.
  significance: 88
  type: radio
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Asahi Shimbun
  publisherSlug: asahi-shimbun
  headline: Tenno Heika, Kofuku wo Sengen - Sensou wa Owari ni Naru / Emperor Declares Peace - War Comes to End
  publishedAt: 1945-08-16
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - asahi.com/archive
  excerpt: "JA: 'Tenno Heika, Kofuku wo Sengen - Sensou wa Owari ni Naru' / EN: 'Emperor Declares Peace - War Comes to End' - The imperial rescript announcing Japan's surrender was broadcast yesterday, instructing all military forces to cease fighting and lay down arms immediately."
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: Japan
- publisher: Life Magazine
  publisherSlug: life-magazine
  headline: It's Over - Japan Quits; America Celebrates Victory
  publishedAt: 1945-08-27
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - life.com/archive
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - With formal surrender documents signed aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, the global conflict that consumed six years of human civilization has reached its conclusive end. Life's photographic essay captures jubilant crowds across American cities erupting in spontaneous celebration.
  significance: 85
  type: magazine
  region: United States
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260529200656/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_Japan"
  capturedAt: 2026-05-29
  label: Japanese surrender in ww2
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_Japan"
