Kyūjō Incident

The was an attempted coup d'état in Japan, taking place midnight of 14 August 1945 – 15 August 1945, the day when Imperial Japan accepted an unconditional surrender to the Allies of World War II. The attempted coup was put into effect by the Staff Office of the Ministry of War of Japan and by many from the Imperial Guard of Japan in order to stop the move to surrender.

The officers in attempt to block the decision to surrender to the Allies, killed Lieutenant General Takeshi Mori of the First Imperial Guards Division and attempted to counterfeit an order to the effect of occupying the Tokyo Imperial Palace. They attempted to place the Emperor under house-arrest, using the 2nd brigade Imperial Guard Infantry. They failed to persuade the Eastern District Army (Japan) and the high command of the Imperial Japanese Army to move forward with the action. Due to their failure to convince the remaining army to oust the Imperial House of Japan, they ultimately committed suicide in traditional Japanese form. As a result, the communique of the intent for a Japanese surrender continued as planned.

Background

Decision to accept the Potsdam Declaration

On August 9, 1945 the Japanese government decided to accept the Potsdam Declaration in reaction to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to the effective loss of the Pacific and extra-territories. On the same day the Supreme Council for the Direction of War opened before the Japanese Imperial court, where the Prime Minister of Japan Kantarō Suzuki, the 26th Minister of the Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsumasa Yonai, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Shigenori Tōgō suggested that the Japanese should accept the Potsdam Declaration, an unconditional surrender, to the Emperor of Japan Hirohito.

After the closure of the Air-raid shelter session, the Prime Minister of Japan mustered the Supreme Council for the Direction of War again, now as the Gozen Kaigi, which Emperor Hirohito attended. From midnight of August 10th, the conference of the Gozen Kaigi convened in an underground bomb shelter. Emperor Hirohito agreed to the opinion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, resulting in the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. The communication to the Allies of World War II was later sent by the Japanese envoy of Switzerland and Sweden.

Agitation in the Army

The Ministry of War of Japan knew the decision of the Gozen Kaigi and stirred up a fierce reaction from many officers who intended do-or-die resistance. At 9 o’clock, in the session held in the Ministry of War, the staff officers complained to the Minister of the War of Japan Korechika Anami, and not all of them understood the persuasion of Anami. After midnight on 12 August a San Francisco broadcasting (KGEI) put the reply from the Allies of World War II, and there was a suggestion that the Allies had decided that the authority of the sovereignty of the Japanese government and the Emperor shall subject to the head quarters of the Allies of World War II, against the requisition for the protection of the Kokutai from the Imperial Japanese government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs interpreted this sentence as the restricting the sovereignty, yet the Japanese Army interpreted this sentence more as enslavement. From 3 o’clock the attendees of the imperial families council basically agreed to the surrender of Japan, yet the cabinet council which was supposed to be held at the same time did not concur. Also, the Supreme Council for the Direction of War tangled with the problem of the protection for the Kokutai. After these proceedings, some Army officers for protection of the Kokutai decided that a coup d'état was needed. At this time, the core group of these officers had already prepared some troops in Tokyo.(兵力使用計画：Heiryoku-shiyo-keikaku))

Kyūjō Incident

14 August

The Ministry of War finally disagreed the plan of coup d'état in the session between the Minister of War of Japan Korechika Anami and the Chief the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Yoshijirō Umezu, on another front, the Prime Minister Suzuki mustered the council of the all cabinet official added some key persons from military and civil in front of the Emperor of Japan and in this council, Emperor Hirohito had accepted the reply of the Allies and described that he would call to all of Japanese people. At around the 1 o’clock when the cabinet council had begun, the chairperson of the NHK was called for by the cabinet intelligence office and required to prepare the Gyokuon-hōsō which will be made by Emperor Hirohito. The recording of the Gyokuon-hōsō has started at half past 11 o’clock in the Imperial Household Ministry and it was sent to the Palace staff of Tokugawa Yoshihiro and locked up in certain room.

15 August

The officers of the Imperial Guard of Japan who was against the surrender of Japan had confirmed the recording of the Gyokuon-hōsō and then held some personnels from NHK and the agency staffs of the cabinet intelligence office. They coerced the interview with the Chief of the division of the Imperial Guard Takeshi Mori and he was persuaded of his entry. At this time, he rejected the persuasion and was murdered with military sword by some high-ranking officer of the Imperial Japanese Army. A part of the division of the Imperial Guard was detached to Hibiya and Imperial Household Ministry and some high-ranking officer betook themselves to Eastern District Army and asked to join the rebellion but the commander of the Eastern District Army, Shizuichi Tanaka had already decided to subdue. At 6 a.m. when Emperor Hirohito knew the coup d'état, he said that he would persuade the soldiers. The two records were carried from the Imperial Household Ministry and it was sent to the spare studios of The Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Company hall and NHK hall. At half past 11 a.m., one military policeman unsheathed his sword and broke into the studio in order to prevent the broadcast but he was taken into custody. After noon, there was an advance notice and the playing of Kimi ga Yo, then the Emperor recorded Gyokuon-hōsō. The long war was over.

Post-war

The relatives of staff officers were not sent to court because of the confusion of the surrender of Japan, despite their actions violating military and criminal law.

See also

• Gyokuon-hōsō

External links

• Researching room for the Kyūjō Incident
• The coup d'état by Masao Inaba