The attempted Japanese coup against surrender on August 14–15, 1945, was the Kyūjō incident.
Junior military officers tried to prevent the surrender announcement and place Emperor Hirohito under house arrest. They occupied parts of the Imperial Palace, sought support from army commanders, and attempted to locate and destroy the recording of Hirohito's surrender message.
The plot failed because senior commanders did not support it. The officers could not secure the military authority needed to continue the coup, and the recording was successfully hidden and delivered for broadcast. Major Kenji Hatanaka was among the leading figures in the attempt.
The incident is also called the Imperial Palace incident. Its failure allowed NHK to transmit Hirohito's recorded address at noon on August 15. Several plot leaders later committed suicide, while the surrender announcement proceeded as planned.