The attempted military coup during Japan’s August 1945 surrender crisis was the Kyūjō incident.
The attempted coup began late on August 14, when army officers opposed to surrender tried to prevent Emperor Hirohito’s recorded announcement from being broadcast. Major Kenji Hatanaka and his allies sought control of the Imperial Palace and searched for the recording, which had been made for transmission to the Japanese public.
The plotters hoped to continue the war and block acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. They tried to obtain support from senior commanders, but key officers refused to endorse the action. The Imperial Guard Division was eventually persuaded to oppose the rebels, and the conspirators failed to secure the palace or stop the broadcast.
The incident ended before Hirohito’s announcement was transmitted at noon on August 15. Hatanaka and several other officers later died by suicide. The event is sometimes called the Kyujo or Kyūjō Palace incident, using different English spellings of the Japanese name.