What is VJ Day

Victory in the Pacific Day (V-P Day) (or Victory over Japan Day, V-J day) is the celebration of the Surrender of Japan, which was initially announced on August 15, 1945 (August 14 North American date), ending combat in the Second World War. In Japan, the day is known as Shuusen-kinenbi (終戦記念日), which literally means the "Memorial day for the end of the war". This is commemorated as Liberation Day in Korea and some other nations.

At noon Japan standard time on August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito's announcement of Japan's acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration was broadcast to the Japanese people over the radio. Earlier the same day, the Japanese government broadcast an announcement over Radio Tokyo that "acceptance of the Potsdam Proclamation [would be] coming soon," then advised the Allies of the surrender by sending a cable to U.S. President Harry S. Truman via the Swiss diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C.

Since Japan was the last Axis Power to surrender and V-P Day followed V-E Day by three months, V-P Day marked the end of World War II.

The formal Japanese signing of the surrender terms took place on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, and at that time Truman actually declared September 2 to be VJ-Day.

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