The event that marked the end of World War II in Asia was the formal surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945. This surrender followed the devastating atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August and the subsequent Soviet declaration of war against Japan. The Japanese government recognized the futility of continuing the conflict and signed the instrument of surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, effectively bringing an end to a grueling war in the Pacific. This event significantly reshaped international relations and led to the U.S. occupation of Japan and the establishment of a new geopolitical landscape in Asia.