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Kyūjō incident

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Failed Japanese coup d'état in August 1945

Kyūjō incidentPart of World War II and the surrender of JapanMajor Kenji Hatanaka, leader of the coup<br>Date14–15 August 1945LocationTokyo, Yokohama<br>Goals<br>Prevent the surrender of Japan

Place the Emperor under house arrest

Destroy the Hirohito surrender broadcast recording

Assassinate Prime Minister Kantarō Suzuki

ResultCoup failed<br>All coup leaders arrested

Parties

Imperial Japanese War Ministry and defectors from the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese government

Imperial Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese Guard

Lead figures

Kenji Hatanaka ‡‡<br>Jirō Shiizaki ‡‡<br>Masataka Ida<br>Takeo Sasaki [ja]

Hirohito<br>Kantarō Suzuki<br>Kōichi Kido<br>Shizuichi Tanaka<br>Takeshi Mori †

Number

18,000 rebels<br>687 officers

25,000 soldiers

Casualties and losses

4 suicides

2 killed

The Kyūjō incident (宮城事件, Kyūjō Jiken) was an attempted military coup d'état in the Empire of Japan at the end of the Second World War. It happened on the night of 14–15 August 1945, just before the announcement of Japan's surrender to the Allies. The coup was attempted by the Staff Office of the Ministry of War of Japan and many from the Imperial Guard to stop the move to surrender.

The officers murdered Lieutenant General Takeshi Mori of the First Imperial Guards Division and attempted to counterfeit an order to the effect of permitting their occupation of the Tokyo Imperial Palace (Kyūjō). They attempted to place Emperor Hirohito under house arrest, using the 2nd Brigade Imperial Guard Infantry. They failed to persuade the Eastern District Army and the high command of the Imperial Japanese Army to move forward with the action. When the leaders of the coup attempt recognized that they had failed to convince the remaining army to oust the Imperial House of Japan, they committed ritual suicide. The communiqué of the intent for a Japanese surrender continued as planned.

Background<br>[edit]

Decision to accept the Potsdam Declaration<br>[edit]

Hirohito (reigned"}]]}'>r. 1926–1989), Emperor of Japan

On 26 July 1945 (Berlin time), the Potsdam Conference issued a declaration on the terms for the surrender of Japan. When the Potsdam Declaration was received in Japan over shortwave, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Shigenori Tōgō brought a copy to the Emperor of Japan, Hirohito. After going over the declaration point by point, the emperor asked Tōgō if those terms "were the most reasonable to be expected in the circumstances". Tōgō said that they were. The emperor said, "I agree. In principle they are acceptable."[1] In late July, however, the other ministers were not ready to accept the declaration.[2]

On 9 August 1945, the Japanese government, responding to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the declaration of war by the Soviet Union and to the effective loss of the Pacific and Asian-mainland territories, decided to accept the Potsdam Declaration. On the same day the Supreme Council for the Direction of War opened before the Japanese Imperial court. In the council, Prime Minister Kantarō Suzuki, Navy Minister Mitsumasa Yonai, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shigenori Tōgō suggested to Hirohito that the Japanese should accept the Potsdam Declaration and surrender unconditionally.[3]

After the closure of the air-raid shelter session, Suzuki mustered the Supreme Council for the Direction of War again, now as an Imperial Conference, which Emperor Hirohito attended. From midnight of 10 August, the conference convened in an underground bomb shelter. Hirohito agreed with the opinion of Tōgō, resulting in the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration.[3] Subsequently, the Japanese envoy to Switzerland and Sweden communicated the decision to the Allies.[clarification needed]

Agitation in the Army<br>[edit]

General Korechika Anami, War Minister, a key member of the army high command whom the plotters tried to win over<br>Part of a series onKokkashugi<br>Organizations

Imperial Rule Assistance Association

Imperial Rule Assistance<br>Political Association

Yokusan Sonendan

National Spiritual Mobilization Movement

League of Diet Members Supporting the<br>Prosecution of the Holy War

Great Japan Youth Party

Shōwa Kenkyūkai

Kōdōha

Young Officers Movement

Tōseiha

National Foundation Society

Black Ocean Society

Cherry Blossom Society

Japanese Committee on<br>Trade and Information

Fleet faction

Yūzonsha

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Unit...