Japan surrenders unconditionally to the Allies after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The formal instruments of surrender are signed on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri though surrender ceremonies take place all across the Pacific theater. General Douglas MacArthur is declared Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Japan and begins reconstruction efforts. Japanese leaders are held responsible for the war and are punished though the Emperor is absolved of responsibility. Japan experiences a number of cultural changes in the wake of the occupation including democracy and women's rights.