Staging American Victory: Japanese Surrender Ceremonies in China

Following the end of World War II, over fifty thousand American marines entered north China for various occupation missions, including accepting Japanese surrenders, repatriating Japanese soldiers and civilians, transporting Nationalist troops, and liberating and rehabilitating Allied internees and prisoners of war. This paper examines the formal Japanese surrender ceremonies held by the American military in Tianjin and Qingdao in October 1945, focusing on the sensorial and symbolic exchanges of Americans, Chinese, and Japanese. In contrast to the ceremonies held by the Chinese government, a therapeutic event for national healing and rejuvenation, the U.S. ceremonies constructed a narrative of American victory, using a range of techniques from intentional informality and dismissiveness to massive parades and other displays of force. The carefully staged public shows were designed as a deterrent to ensure submission by the defeated Japanese as well as the various groups of Chinese spectators, including the Communists, puppet armies, and other local forces. Under scrutiny by all parties, this deeply visceral encounter was not only a victorious conclusion of the war but also a rehearsal of upcoming postwar politics.