The Japanese
Surrender Documents September 12, 1945 TRANSLATION of Foreign Minister Shiegemitsu's credentials TRANSLATION H I R O H I T O, By the Grace of Heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the Throne occupied by the same Dynasty changeless through ages eternal, To all who these Presents shall come, Greeting! We
do hereby authorise Mamoru Shigemitsu, Zyosanmi, First Class of the Imperial Order of the
Rising Sun to attach his signature by command and in behalf of Ourselves and Our
Government unto the Instrument of Surrender which is required by the Supreme Commander for
the Allied Powers to be signed. Seal of the Empire Signed: H I R O H I T O Countersigned: Naruhiko-o ______________________ TRANSLATION of General Umezu's credentials TRANSLATION H I R O H I T O , By the Grace of Heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the Throne occupied by the same Dynasty changeless through ages eternal, To all who these Presents shall come, Greeting! We
do hereby authorise Yoshijiro Umezu, Zyosanmi, First Class of the Imperial Order of the
Rising Sun to attach his signature by command and in behalf of Ourselves and Our
Government unto the Instrument of Surrender which is required by the Supreme Commander for
the Allied Powers to be signed. Seal of the Empire Signed: H I R O H I T O Countersigned: Yoshijiro Umezu, Chief of the General Staff of the Imperial
Japanese Army _______________________ INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER We,
acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government and
the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, hereby accept the provisions set forth in the
declaration issued by the heads of the Governments of the United States, China, and Great
Britain on 26 July 1945 at Potsdam, and subsequently adhered to by the Union of Soviet
Socialist Repub- lics, which four powers are hereafter referred to as the Allied Powers. Signed at TOKYO BAY, JAPAN at 0904 I on the SECOND day of SEPTEMBER, 1945. MAMORU SHIGMITSU YOSHIJIRO UMEZU Accepted at TOKYO BAY, JAPAN at 0903 I on the SECOND day of SEPTEMBER, 1945, for the United States, Republic of China, United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in the interests of the other United Nations at war with Japan. DOUGLAS MAC ARTHUR, C.W. NIMITZ, HSU YUNG-CH'ANG, BRUCE FRASER, KUZMA DEREVYANKO, THOMAS BLAMEY< L. MOORE COSGRAVE, JACQUES LE CLERC, C.E.L. HELFRICH, LEONARD M. ISITT, --------------------------------------- Translation of Emperor Hirohito's Receipt of the Surrender documents PROCLAMATION Accepting the terms set forth in the Declaration issued by the heads of the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, and China on July 26th, 1945 at Potsdam and subse- quently adhered to by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, We have commanded the Japanese Imperial Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters to sign on Our behalf the Instrument of Surrender presented by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and to issue General Orders to the Military and Naval Forces in accordance with the direction of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. We command all Our people forthwith to cease hostilities, to lay down their arms and faithfully to carry out all the provisions of Instrument of Surrender and the General Orders issued by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters hereunder. This second day of the ninth month of the twentieth year of Syowa. Seal of the Empire Signed: H I R O H I T O Countersigned: --------------------------------------- INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER of the Japanese and Japanese-Controlled
Armed Forces in the Philippine Islands to the Commanding General United States Army
Forces, Western Pacific Pursuant to and in accordance with the proclamation of the Emperor of Japan accepting the terms set forth in the declaration issued by the heads of the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, and China on 26 July 1945; at Potsdam and sub- sequently adhered to by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and to the formal instrument of surrender of the Japanese Imperial Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters signed at Toyko Bay at 0908 on 2 September 1945: 1.
Acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Imperial
Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, We hereby surrender
unconditionally to the Commanding General, United States Army Forces, Western Pacific, all
Japanese and Japanese-controlled armed forces, air, sea, ground and auxiliary, in the
Philippine Islands. Signed at Camp John Hay, Baguio, Mountain Province, Luzon, Philippine Islands, at 1210 hours 3 September 1945: TOMOYUKI YAMASHITA, General, Imperial Japanese Army Highest Commander, Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines. DENHICI OKOCHI, Vice Admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy Highest Commander, Imperial Japanese Navy in the Philippines. By command and in behalf of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters Accepted at Camp John Hay, Baguio, Mountain Province Luzon Philippine Islands, at 1210 hours 3 September 1945: For the Commander-in-Chief, United States Army Forces, Pacific: EDMOND H. LEAVY, Major General, USA Deputy Commander, United States Army Forces, Western Pacific. --------------------------------------- UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES IN KOREA HEADQUARTERS XXIV CORPS OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL FORMAL SURRENDER BY THE SENIOR JAPANESE GROUND, SEA, AIR AND AUXILIARY FORCES COMMANDS WITHIN KOREA SOUTH OF 38 NORTH LATITUDE TO THE COM- MANDING GENERAL, UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES IN KOREA, FOR AND IN BEHALF OF THE COMMANDER-IN- CHIEF UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES, PAFIFIC
WHEREAS an Instrument of Surrender was on the 2d day of September 1945 by command of and
behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial Head-
quarters signed by Foreign Minister Mamouru Shigemitsu by com- mand and in behalf of the
Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government and by Yoshijiro Umezu by command of and in
behalf of the Japanese Imperial Headquaters and
"1. We, acting by command of an in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese
Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, hereby accept the provisions
set forth in the declaration issued by the heads of the Governments of the United States,
China, and Great Britian on 26 July 1945 at Potsdam, and subsequently adhered to by the
Union of Soviet Socialist Repub- lics, which four powers are hereafter referred to as the
Allied Powers. WHEREAS the terms of surrender were, on the 2d day of September 1945 as given by the United States, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union of Socialist Republics and other allied powers, accepted by the Imperial Japanese Government, and WHEREAS on the 2d day of September 1945 the Imperial General Headquarters by direction of the Emperor has ordered all its commanders in Japan and abroad to cause the Japanese Armed Forces and Japanese controlled forces under their command to cease hostilities at once, to lay down their arms and remain in their present locations and to surrender unconditionally to commanders acting in behalf of the United States, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the British Empire and the Union of Socialist Rep- ublics, and WHEREAS the Imperial General Headquarters, its senior commanders and all ground, sea, air and auxiliary forces in the main islands of Japan, minor islands adjacent thereto, Korea south of 38 north latitude and the Philippines were directed to surrender to the Commmander-in-Chief of the United States Army Forces, Pacific and WHEREAS the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army Forces, Pacific has appointed the Commanding General, XXIV Corps as the Command General, United States Army Forces in Korea, and has directed him as such to act for the Commander- in-Chief United States Army Forces, Pacific in the reception of the surrender of the senior Japanese commanders of all Japanese ground, sea, air and auxiliary forces in Korea south of 38 north latitude and all islands adjacent thereto. Now therefor We,
the undersigned, senior Japanese commanders of all Japanese ground, sea, air and auxiliary
forces in Korea south of 38 north latitude, do hereby acknowledge:
Finally, we do hereby formally and unconditionally sur- render to the Commanding General,
United States Army Forces in Korea, all persons in Korea south of 38 degrees North
Latitude who are in the Armed Forces of Japan, and all military installations, ordnance,
ships, aircraft, and other military equipment or property of every kind or description in
Korea, including all islands adjacent thereto, south of 38 degrees North Latitude over
which we exercise jurisdiction or control. Signed at SEOUL, KOREA at 1630 hours on the 9th day of September 1945. YOSHIO SOZUKI, Senior Japanese commander of all Japanese ground and air forces in Korea south of 38 north latitude. GISABURO YAMAGUCHI, Senior Japanese commander of all Japanese naval forces in Korea south of 38 north latitude. I, Nobuyuki Abe, the duly appointed, qualified and acting Governor General of KOREA do hereby certify that I have read and fully understand the contents of the foregoing Instrument of Surrender, and of all documents referred to therein. I
hereby acknowledge the duties and obligations imposed upon me by said documents, insofar
as they apply to all matters within my jurisdiction or control as Governor General of
Korea, and recognize the necessity of my strict compliance therewith and adherence
thereto. Signed at SEOUL, KOREA, at 1630 hours on the 9th day of September 1945. NOBUYUKI ABE (Governor General of KOREA) Accepted at SEOUL, KOREA, at 1630 hours on the 9th day of September 1945 for and in behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army Forces, Pacific. JOHN R. HODGE
THOMAS C. KINCAID --------------------------------------- SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER, SOUTH EAST ASIA THE INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER OF JAPANESE FORCES UNDER THE COMMAND OR CONTROL OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER, JAPANESE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, SOUTHERN REGIONS, WITHIN THE OPERATIONAL THEATRE OF THE SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER, SOUTH EAST ASIA 1. In pursuance of and in compliance with: (a)
the Instrument of Surrender signed by the Japanese plenipotentiaries by command and on
behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General
Headquarters at Toyko on 2 September, 1945;
to all of which Instrument of Surrender, General Order and Local Agreement this present Instrument is complementary and which it in no way supersedes, the Supreme Commander, Japanese Expeditionary Forces, Southern Regions (Field Marshall Count Terauchi) does hereby surrender unconditionally to the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia (Admiral The Lord Louis Mountbatten) himself and all Japanese sea, ground, air and auxiliary forces under his command or control and within the operational theatre of the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia. 2. The Supreme Commander, Japanese Expeditionary Forces, Southern Regions, undertakes to ensure that all orders and instructions that may be issued from time to time by the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, or by any of his subordinate Naval, Military, or Air-Force Commanders of whatever rank acting in his name, are scrupulously and promptly obeyed by all Japanese sea, ground, air and auxiliary forces under the command or control of the Supreme Commander, Japanese Expeditionary Forces, Southern Regions, and within the operational theatre of the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia. 3. Any disobediance of, or delay or failure to comply with, orders or instructions issued by the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, or issued on his behalf by any of his subordinate Naval, Military, or Air Force Commanders of whatever rank, and any action which the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, or his subordinate Commanders action on his behalf, may determine to be detrimental to the Allied Powers, will be dealt with as the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia may decide. 4. This Instrument takes effect from the time and date of signing. 5. This Instrument is drawn up in the English Language, which is the only authentic version. In any case of doubt to intention or meaning, the decision of the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia is final. It is the responsibility of the Supreme Commander, Japanese Expeditionary Forces, Southern Regions, to make such translations into Japanese as he may require. Signed at Singapore at 0341 hours (G.M.T.) on 12 September, 1945. SEISHIRO ITAGAKI LOUIS MOUNTBATTAN |