VJ Day 2020: date when Victory Over Japan Day is observed, how it's linked to VE Day and why Japan surrendered from WW2

This is everything you need to know about VJ Day - from when it takes place to why the Japanese forces backed down.

What is VJ Day and when is it?

VJ Day stands for Victory Over Japan Day and it marks the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, which in effect, brought the war to an end.

In the UK and the US, VJ Day is celebrated on different dates.

The initial announcement of Japan’s surrender was made on 15 August 1945, which is why the UK marks VJ Day on 15 August each year.

However, the surrender documents were officially signed on the USS Missouri battleship on 2 September 1945, which is why America celebrates on 2 September instead.

In Japan, the day is known as the “memorial day for the end of the war”, and is observed on 15 August.

How is VJ Day linked to VE Day?

VE Day stands for Victory in Europe Day, and it refers to the surrender of Nazi Germany on 8 May 1945, after nearly six years of war.

Despite the battle against the Nazis coming to an end, and Hilter dead, Japan stood firm and war continued to rage on in the Pacific where Japan, a key German ally, fought off the advancing US army.

The Japan surrender didn’t come until after the German surrender, and this marked the end of World War II entirely, which is why there’s a separate day of remembrance and celebration.

Why did Japan surrender?

The Japanese surrendered from World War II following the fallout of the atomic bombs the Americans dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August respectively.

The Allied leaders issued Japan something called a Potsdam Declaration, which called for the unconditional surrender of their armed forces.

Previously, Japan had not accepted these terms, but following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Emperor Hirohito (posthumously called Emperor Showa) decided to accept the declaration.

In the declaration, there was a promise of “prompt and utter destruction” if the armed forces of Japan didn’t surrender, and the use of weapons of mass destruction against Hiroshima and Nagasaki backed up this threat.

It wasn’t only the bombing from the US that secured Japan's surrender - an attack from the Soviet army was a huge factor as well.

While the Soviets had been allied with Britain and the US in the fight against Hitler, they weren’t actually at war with Japan at the time when the country was issued the Potsdam Declaration.

In fact, the Soviet Union and Japan had signed a neutrality pact in 1941, which benefited both sides during the war.

However, this changed on 9 August, the day of America’s atomic attack on Nagasaki, following the bombing of Hiroshima a few days earlier.

The Soviets broke their pact with Japan, and implemented a massive invasion of its territories, which took out huge numbers of Japanese soldiers.

Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, decided to do this because Stalin had made a promise to British and American leaders to join the war against Japan following the defeat of Nazi Germany.

According to American historian Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, the Soviet Union’s attack destroyed Japan’s hopes that they could end the war with help from Moscow.

Hasegawa said: “The Soviet entry into the war played a much greater role than the atomic bombs in inducing Japan to surrender because it dashed any hope that Japan could terminate the war through Moscow’s mediation.”

On 2 September, 1945, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was formally signed on board USS Missouri.

How do people in the UK celebrate VJ Day?

In the UK, VJ Day is celebrated in a similar fashion to VE Day, with commemorations for those who fought during the war.

However, parades, remembrance events and other celebrations have been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The British Legion announced: “As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Royal British Legion has taken the difficult decision not to continue with plans for our overseas tours to commemorate VJ Day.

“We recognise that this decision will be deeply disappointing, it has been taken based on expert advice to protect the health of those who would have been travelling on the tours.”

However, you can still get involved with VJ Day celebrations in a socially responsible way.

While lockdown rules across the UK have relaxed, it's important to continue to follow the rules to keep the spread of the coronavirus as low as possible.

The VJ Day website from the government outlines a whole list of ways to celebrate the day.

The website states: “There are many ways you can get involved with VJ Day, either outdoors while following social distancing guidance, or online.”

These are some of the ideas that the government suggests:

- Discover your WW2 history using online resources to discover your local and family WW2 histories and connections

- Find your local memorial

- Check out the government’s dedicated toolkit complete with resources and branding for your at home activities, including messages of remembrance

- Join the Premier League Academies in marking VJ Day 75 by sending paper cranes to Big Ideas, where they will be assembled into a paper wreath to be laid at the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park

The government also published a schedule of events for the day, which includes:

- At 11am, a National Two Minute Silence led by the Prince of Wales, which will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum

- The Red Arrows will conduct flypasts over Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff and will conclude their tour of the UK over London

- VJ Day 75: The Nation’s Tribute will be broadcast on BBC One between 8:30pm and 10pm