The Japanese Surrender Aboard the USS Missouri in 1945 in Color

This vivid colorized footage immortalizes the historic moment on September 2, 1945, when Japan formally surrendered aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, ending World War II. Witness General Douglas MacArthur lead the 23-minute ceremony, broadcast worldwide, as representatives from nine nations—including Japan’s Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijirō Umezu—signed the Instrument of Surrender, following Emperor Hirohito’s August 15 announcement. From the tension on deck to the solemn signatures, this restored film captures a defining pivot in history, gripping WWII buffs and those moved by global peace’s fragile dawn.