Who led the Kyūjō Incident, the failed Japanese coup attempt against surrender in August 1945?
Answer
Major Kenji Hatanaka
Major Kenji Hatanaka led the Kyūjō Incident, a failed coup attempt intended to prevent Japan’s surrender in August 1945. The plot unfolded in Tokyo during the night of 14–15 August, immediately before Hirohito’s broadcast.
The conspirators sought to place the emperor under house arrest and destroy the recording of his surrender announcement. They occupied parts of the Imperial Palace and searched for the recording, but senior commanders refused to support the takeover.
The coup collapsed before the broadcast could be stopped. Hatanaka and other principal conspirators later committed suicide. The incident is also called the Imperial Palace Incident and illustrates the intense opposition inside Japan’s military to accepting the Allied terms.