The 1945 coup attempt aimed at stopping Hirohito’s surrender broadcast was the Kyūjō Incident. Also called the Imperial Palace incident, it was an effort by Japanese Army officers to prevent the emperor’s recorded message from reaching the public.
The plot unfolded during the night of August 14–15, 1945. Rebel officers occupied parts of the Imperial Palace and searched for the phonograph recordings containing Hirohito’s rescript. They failed to locate and destroy the recordings, while senior commanders declined to support the revolt.
The broadcast proceeded at noon on August 15. The incident is distinct from the February 26 Incident of 1936, another attempted military coup in Japan. The Kyūjō Incident occurred at the very end of World War II and collapsed before the surrender announcement.