The Kyūjō incident was the 1945 Japanese coup attempt intended to stop Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast.
On the night of August 14–15, 1945, military officers opposed to surrender attempted to seize the Imperial Palace and prevent the recording of Hirohito’s address from reaching the public. The recording had been made the previous night and announced acceptance of the Allied terms.
The rebels searched for the recording, but palace officials successfully hid and protected it. The coup plotters also tried to control the radio station NHK, yet the broadcast went ahead at noon on August 15.
The incident is also known as the Imperial Palace incident. It is different from earlier failed military uprisings, such as the February 26 Incident of 1936. The word Kyūjō means “Imperial Palace” in Japanese.