Major Kenji Hatanaka led the 1945 coup attempt intended to stop Hirohito’s surrender broadcast.
Hatanaka and other Japanese Army officers opposed the decision to accept the Allied terms. During the night of 14–15 August, they occupied parts of the Imperial Palace and attempted to locate and destroy the phonograph records containing Hirohito’s speech. They also tried to seize the NHK broadcasting station.
The rebels failed to find the hidden recordings. They were unable to gain lasting control of the broadcast facilities, and senior commanders declined to support the coup. General Korechika Anami, the army minister, opposed surrender but did not join Hatanaka’s attempt to overturn the emperor’s decision.
Hirohito’s recorded message therefore aired at noon on 15 August. Hatanaka fled after the coup collapsed and died by suicide near the Imperial Palace. The failed action is often called the Kyūjō incident.