Umekichi OKADA [1891-1967]

Major-General Umekichi Okada was Garrison Commander, Hong Kong at the time of the Japanese surrender in 1945. He was one of the two Japanese commanders who signed the official surrender in the presence of Rear Admiral Harcourt on Sep 16, 1945.

Here's a description of the event from Captain Waight, writing in the 1962 Navy News:

THE ceremony of the official surrender of the Japanese armed forces was conducted with great dignity before a gathering of distinguished officers of the Commonwealth Armed Forces, civil authorities and observers representing the Government of Nationalist China. 

Rear-Admiral Harcourt, who in addition to being Commander-in-Chief, Hong Kong, was also now the Governor, solemnly read the Instrument of Surrender to the Japanese admiral and general—"We, Major-General Umekichi Okada and Vice- Admiral Ruitako Fujita, in virtue of the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of all Japanese armed forces, and all forces under Japanese control, wherever situated, as proclaimed in Article Two of the Instrument of Surrender signed in Tokio Bay on 2nd September. 1945, on behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese Imperial Headquarters, do hereby surrender ourselves and all forces under our control to Rear-Admiral Cecil Halliday Jepson Harcourt, C.B., C.B.E.. and undertake to carry out all such instructions as may be given by him, or under his authority, and to issue all necessary orders for the purpose of giving effect to his instructions. Given under our hands this 16th day of September,1945. at Government House. Hong Kong. . . ."

It was indeed a most impressive sight to see these two Japanese officers signing their names to this document, and handing over their swords. How humiliated they must have felt.

At the end of the ceremony. Rear-Admiral Harcourt announced—"We will now proceed to the ceremony of the re-hoisting of the Union Jack in the grounds of Government House."