This is where the USS Missouri was anchored on September 2, 1945. On board the Japanese signed the instrument of surrender ending the Japanese involvement in World War II. General MacArthur chose this spot because it was near here in 1853 at Kurihama Beach, Yokohama that Commodore Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay and demanded trade concessions from the Imperial Government of Japan. I’m sure we will do many more interesting things in Japan, but for me this was a high point of our trip. When I was a kid, I assembled a model of the USS Missouri. I read everything I could get my hands on about General MacArthur and the events leading up to the surrender. My father, who had fought in the South Pacific, told me about the event. To be here at the spot where the war ended was the fulfillment of a childhood dream. There was no arranged excursion to this place today. I just remembered that the latitude and longitude are emblazoned on a plaque aboard the USS Missouri. I made it a point to mark that spot on my Google Maps, and as Viking Orion sailed past the spot I went out on deck and snapped a picture.Read more
North Pacific Ocean 35°21’41” N 139°45’12” E
North Pacific Ocean 35°21’41” N 139°45’12” E