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.
In witness whereof, We have hereunto set
Our signature and caused the Great Seal of the Empire to be affixed.
Given at Our Palace in Tokyo, this first
day of the ninth month of the twentieth year of Syowa, being the two thousand
six hundred and fifth year from the Accession of the Emperor Zinmu.
Seal of the Empire
Signed: H I R O H I T O
Countersigned: Naruhiko-o
Prime Minister
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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.
In witness
whereof, We have hereunto set Our signature and caused the Great Seal of the
Empire to be affixed.
Given at Our Palace
in Tokyo, this first day of the ninth month of the twentieth year of Syowa,
being the two thousand six hundred and fifth year from the Accession of the
Emperor Zinmu.
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
Soemu Toyoda, Chief of the General Staff of the Imperial Japanese Army
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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 Republics, which four powers are hereafter referred
to as the Allied Powers.
We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender
to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of
all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under the Japanese control wherever
situated.
We hereby command all Japanese forces wherever
situated and the Japanese people to cease hostilites forthwith, to preserve
and save from damage all ships, aircraft, and military and civil property and
to comply with all requirements which my be imposed by the Supreme Commander
for the Allied Powers or by agencies of the Japanese Government at his direction.
We hereby command the Japanese Imperial Headquarters to issue at
once orders to the Commanders of all Japanese forces and all forces under
Japanese control wherever situated to surrender un- conditionally themselves and
all forces under their control.
We hereby
command all civil, military and naval officials to obey and enforce all
proclamations, and orders and directives deemed by the Supreme Commander for the
Allied Powers to be proper to ef- fectuate this surrender and issued by him or
under his authority and we direct all such officials to remain at their posts
and to continue to perform their non-combatant duties unless specifically
relieved by him or under his authority.
We
hereby undertake for the Emperor, the Japanese Government and their successors
to carry out the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration in good faith, and to
issue whatever orders and take whatever actions may be required by the Supreme
Commander for the Allied Poers or by any other designated representative of the
Allied Powers for the purpose of giving effect to that Declaration.
We hereby command the Japanese Imperial
Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters at once to liberate
all allied prisoners of war and civilian internees now under Japanese control
and to provide for their protection, care, maintenance and immediate transportation
to places as directed.
The authority of the
Emperor and the Japanese Government to rule the state shall be subject to the
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers who will take such steps as he deems
proper to ef- fectuate these terms of surrender.
Signed at TOKYO BAY, JAPAN at 0904 I on the SECOND day of SEPTEMBER, 1945.
MAMORU SHIGMITSU
By Command and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the
Japanese Government
YOSHIJIRO UMEZU
By Command and in behalf of the Japanese Imperial General
Headquarters
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,
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers
C.W. NIMITZ,
United States Representative
HSU YUNG-CH'ANG,
Republic of China Representative
BRUCE FRASER,
United Kingdom Representative
KUZMA DEREVYANKO,
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Representative
THOMAS BLAMEY
Commonwealth of Australia Representative
L. MOORE COSGRAVE,
Dominion of Canada Representative
JACQUES LE CLERC,
Provisional Government of the French Republic
Representative
C.E.L. HELFRICH,
Kingdom of the Netherlands Representative
LEONARD M. ISITT,
Dominion of New Zealand Representative
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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:
Naruhiko-o, Prime Minister
Mamoru Shigemitsu, Minister
of Foreign Affairs
Iwao Yamazaki, Minister of Home Affairs
Juichi
Tsushima, Minister of Finance
Sadamu Shimomura, Minister of War
Mitsumasa
Yonai, Minister of Navy
Chuzo Iwata, Minister of Justice
Tamon Maeda,
Minister of Education
Kenzo Matsumura, Minister of Welfare
Kotaro Sengoku,
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
Chikuhei Nakajima, Minister of Commerce
and Industry
Naoto Kobiyama, Minister of Transportation
Fumimaro Konoe,
Minister without Portfolio
Taketora Ogata, Minister without
Portfolio
Binshiro Obata, Minister without Portfolio
---------------------------------------
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
Camp John Hay
Baguio, Mountain Province,
Luzon, Philippine,
Islands
3 September, 1945
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.
2. We hereby command
all Japanese forces wherever situated in the Philippine Islands to cease
hostilities forthwith, to preserve and save from damage all ships, aircraft, and
military and civil property, and to comply with all requirements which may be
imposed by the Commanding General, United States Army Forces, Western Pacific,
or his authorized representatives.
3. We hereby direct the commanders of all
Japanese forces in the Philippine Islands to issue at once to all forces under
their command to surrender unconditionally themselves and all forces under their
control, as prisoners of war, to the nearest United States Force Commander.
4.
We hereby direct the commanders of all Japanese forces in the Philippine Islands
to surrender intact and in good order to the nearest United States Army Force
Commander, at times and at places directed by him, all equipment and supplies of
whatever nature under their control.
5.
We hereby direct the commanders of all Japanese forces in the Philippine Islands
at once to liberate all Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees under
their control, and to provide for their protection, care, maintenance and
immediate transportation to places as directed by the nearest United States Army
Force Commander.
6. We hereby undertake
to transmit the directives given in Paragraphs 1 through 5, above, to all
Japanese forces in the Philip- pine Islands immediatlely by all means within our
power, and further to furnish to the Commanding General, United States Army
Forces, Western Pacific, all necessary Japanese emissaries fully empowered to
bring about the surrender of Japanese forces in the Philippine Islands with whom
we are not in contact.
7. We hereby
undertake to furnish immediatly to the Commanding General, United States Army
Forces, Western Pacific, a statement of the designation, numbers, loacations,
and commanders of all Japanese armed forces, ground, sea, or air, in the
Philippine Islands.
8. We hereby
undertake faithfully to obey all further pro- clamation, orders and directives
deemed by the Commanding General, United States Armed Forces, Western Pacific,
to be proper to ef- fecuate this surrender.
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.
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UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES IN KOREA
HEADQUARTERS XXIV CORPS
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL
APO 235 c/o POSTMASTER
SAN FRANSICO,
CALIFORNIA
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
WHEREAS the terms of the Instrument of Surrender were subsequently as
follows:
"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 Republics, which four powers are hereafter referred to
as the Allied Powers.
"2. We hereby proclaim the unconditional
surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters
and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under the Japanese control
wherever situated.
"3.
We hereby command all Japanese forces wherever situated and the Japanese people
to cease hostilites forthwith, to preserve and save from damage all ships,
aircraft, and military and civil property and to comply with all requirements
which my be imposed by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers or by
agencies of the Japanese Government at his direction.
"4. We hereby command the Japanese Imperial
Headquarters to issue at once orders to the Commanders of all Japanese forces
and all forces under Japanese control wherever situated to surrender unconditionally
themselves and all forces under their control.
"5. We hereby command all civil, military
and naval officials to obey and enforce all proclamations, and orders and directives
deemed by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers to be proper to ef- fectuate
this surrender and issued by him or under his authority and we direct all such
officials to remain at their posts and to continue to perform their non-combatant
duties unless specifically relieved by him or under his authority.
"6. We hereby undertake for the Emperor,
the Japanese Government and their successors to carry out the provisions of
the Potsdam Declaration in good faith, and to issue whatever orders and take
whatever actions may be required by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers
or by any other designated representative of the Allied Powers for the purpose
of giving effect to that Declaration.
"7. We hereby command the
Japanese Imperial Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters at
once to liberate all allied prisoners of war and civilian internees now under
Japanese control and to provide for their protection, care, maintenance and
immediate transportation to places as directed.
"8. The authority of the Emperor and the Japanese Government to rule the
state shall be subject to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers who will
take such steps as he deems proper to ef- fectuate these terms of surrender.
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:
a. That we have been duly advised and fully informed of the contents of
the Proclamation by the Emperor of Japan, the Instrument of Surrender and the
orders herein above referred to.
b. That
we accept our duties and obligations under said instruments and orders and
recognize the necessity for our strict compliance therewith and adherence
thereto.
c. The the Commanding General,
United States Army Forces in Korea, is the duly authorized representative of the
Com- mander-in-Chief United States Army Forces, Pacific and that we will
completely and immediately carry out and put into ef- fect his instructions.
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.
In case of conflict or ambiguity between the English text
of this document and any translation thereof, the English shall prevail.
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.
In particular do I reconize that the
Commanding General, UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES IN KOREA, is the duly authorized
representative of the Commander-in-Chief, UNITED STATES ARMY FORCES, PACIFIC,
and that I am completely and immediately to carry out and put into effect his
instructions.
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
JOHN R. HODGE, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army
Commanding
General, United States Army Forces in Korea
THOMAS C. KINCAID
T. C. KINCAID, Admiral, U. S. Navy
Representative of
the United States Navy
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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;
(b) General Order
No. 1, promulgated at the same place and on the same date;
(c) the Local Agreement made by the Supreme Commander,
Japanese Expeditionary Forces, Southern Regions, with the Supreme Allied
Commander, South East Asia at Rangoon on 27 August, 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
(for) SUPREME COMMANDER
JAPANESE EXPEDITIONARY
FORCES,
SOUTHERN REGIONS
LOUIS MOUNTBATTAN
SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER
SOUTH EAST ASIA