The August 1945 Japanese coup attempt that sought to stop the surrender broadcast was the Kyūjō Incident.
The attempted coup occurred during the night of 14–15 August 1945, after Emperor Hirohito had recorded the rescript announcing acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. Army officers opposed to surrender tried to seize the Imperial Palace, locate the recording, and prevent its transmission to the Japanese public.
Major Kenji Hatanaka was the central organizer. The rebels obtained support from some units in Tokyo and briefly occupied important locations, including parts of the palace and the NHK broadcasting facility. They failed to find the recording and could not secure decisive backing from senior commanders.
The plot collapsed before noon on 15 August. The recording was delivered safely to NHK and broadcast as planned. The incident is also called the Imperial Palace Incident. It demonstrates that surrender was not a simple administrative decision: powerful Japanese officers still intended to continue the war even after the emperor had chosen acceptance.