The Missouri Surrender

Ian B3HR2UH · July 6, 2022

I purchased this sword earlier in the year but have known about it for 30 or 40 years.

The man who owned it before me was told this by the man who brought it back from the war. He was on the Tokyo docks on the day of the Missouri surrender. The surrender party had been disarmed and their swords placed in a pile. He asked the Americans guarding them what was happening to them. He was told he could take one which he did.

Movie footage shows some of the Japanese surrender party arriving by motor vehicles at the South Pier/Customs Dock Yokohama. At this point the officers had their swords. There are a number of other officers present who accompanied the formal surrender party.

Later footage shows members of the formal surrender party boarding USS Nicholas prior to crossing to USS Landsborough. In this footage the Japanese no longer have their swords.

USS Landsborough transported the surrender party of eleven to the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay where the formal surrender to General MacArthur took place on the 2nd of September 1945.

Years ago I saw (I think on TV) some footage of the Japanese surrender party taking their swords off and placing them in a pile. I remember thinking that this footage verified what the previous owner had been told.

The sword has a silver plaque on the kabuto gane with the owners name Hasegawa on it together with a General Officer's tassel. None of the party who surrendered on the USS Missouri had the surname Hasegawa.

Internet research lists ten Japanese Generals with the surname Hasegawa. Only one General Hasegawa was serving in the Tokyo area at the end of the war. The rest had either retired, been killed or were serving elsewhere. This man was Major General Hasegawa Tsutomu who was head of the Kempetai.

I am guessing this was his sword and that he was possibly one of the other officers who accompanied the actual surrender party to the south pier/ customs dock.

I have spent hours trying to find the footage I remember seeing but without luck. My questions is, has anyone come across the film showing the surrender party being disarmed on the South pier? Does anyone have any knowledge of what became of the other swords that were surrendered on that day.

Ian Brooks

Baka Gaijin · July 6, 2022

Hi Ian,

The US Naval Institute Archive may be worth investigating

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1955/august/photographing-surrender-aboard-uss-missouri

Matsunoki · July 6, 2022

I had a very quick look on YouTube for Japanese Surrender and there are numerous videos. Also just put “Japanese surrender Missouri” into Google and selected “videos” and a lot appeared. Could take ages to view them all but you’ve probably done that already. I started to look at some and quickly got hooked!……need to get on with something else now! Good luck. Colin

dwmc · July 9, 2022

Hi Ian,

My father was there as a guard for General MacArthur during the surrender ceremony. I too have searched for years trying to locate footage of military activities during the surrender in the Yokohama area. I've found several short film clips on (Critical Past wwll archive ), yet don't recall seeing a sword surrender during that day of surrender ceremony.

I have read however, that the Japanese officers during that time were still wearing their swords, and were promptly ordered to surrender them. Therefore, it's highly likely this is just how your sword was acquired.

This is a photo of my father, (on left), with one of the swords he brought home. This wasn't a sword from the Yokohama surrender, but a sword from a weapons collection mission in northern Japan.

Good luck with your research,

Dave M.

Matsunoki · July 9, 2022

2 hours ago, dwmc said:

This is a photo of my father, (on left), with one of the swords he brought home.

What a great photo of “a moment in time”.

Tanegashima · September 2, 2022

Ian can I see your Norishige please? I have a clock from the IJN Submarine I-14. One of only 3 built. Fabulous history.

vajo · September 2, 2022

@Tanegashima Nigel did you have some pictures of these I-14 clock?

I would need a plain shoot of the dial.

Ian B3HR2UH · September 3, 2022

Hi Nigel , I sent you a PM . Ian

Tanegashima · September 14, 2022

On 9/3/2022 at 12:41 AM, vajo said:

@Tanegashima Nigel did you have some pictures of these I-14 clock?

I would need a plain shoot of the dial.

Some photographs of the IJN Submarine I-14's clock. There were only 3 of these super submarines built, Yamamoto wanted 18, the cost and nearing wars end prevented this. The technology was so advanced the Americans refused access to the Russians and sunk the vessel after they had gathered all the information.

Such a shame to destroy such a superb Submarine, it should have been preserved for future historians to enjoy.

There's a lot of interesting achived history on these submarines in Google. I corresponded with the Vets son, who sent the provenance letter, he told his father who was in a nursing home of my preservation of such an important historical piece. I had the clock restored by a horologist I know, it runs for about 2 weeks, the kanji on the dial plate says wind every day I think. I have a lot of documentation and photographs relating to the history of this clock.

At least I have saved it and enshrined its history!