What was the name of the 1945 attempted coup that sought to stop Japan’s surrender?

The Kyūjō Incident was the 1945 attempted coup that sought to stop Japan’s surrender.

The attempt began during the night of August 14–15, 1945, after Emperor Hirohito had decided that Japan would accept the Allied terms. A group of army officers occupied parts of the Imperial Palace and tried to locate and destroy the recording of Hirohito’s surrender address.

The plotters hoped to prevent the broadcast and continue the war. They failed to secure sufficient support from senior commanders, and the palace occupation ended before the emperor’s message was transmitted. The recording was broadcast on August 15, although many listeners found the formal language difficult to understand.

The incident is also called the Imperial Palace Incident. It illustrates how sharply Japan’s military and political leadership was divided at the end of the war. The coup attempt did not change the decision, and Japan proceeded to sign the formal surrender document on September 2.