The February 26 Incident (二・二六事件 Ni-niroku jiken) was an uprising against the Japanese government that took place in 1936. It was a major coup attempt by the Imperial Way Faction, a last ditch effort to seize the government. Groups of assassins killed or attempted to kill the upper leadership of the government and seize control of key buildings. Fourteen hundred junior military officers took up arms in Tokyo, occupying the Diet, army ministry, and police headquarters. Three cabinet members were killed, including finance minister Takahashi Korekiyo. A band of officers stormed the Kantei (the prime minister's residence) and attempted to kill Prime Minister Okada Keisuke, Admiral Suzuki Kantaro, and Prince Saionji Kimmochi. Most of the city ended up effectively under rebel control. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Tokyo ) , literally eastern capital, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and includes the highly urbanized central area formerly known as the city of Tokyo which is the heart of the Greater Tokyo Area. ... This article is about the Japanese legislature. ... Takahashi Korekiyo Takahashi Korekiyo (高橋是清 Takahashi Korekiyo) (July 27, 1854–February 26, 1936) was a Japanese politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Japan from November 13, 1921 to June 12, 1922. ... The Kantei (官邸) is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Japan. ... Keisuke Okada (岡田 啓介 Okada Keisuke January 20, 1868–October 17, 1952) was a Japanese politician and the 31st Prime Minister of Japan from July 8, 1934 to March 9, 1936. ... Admiral Kantarō Suzuki (鈴木 貫太郎 Kantarō Suzuki, December 24, 1867 - April 17, 1948) was the 42nd Prime Minister of Japan from April 7, 1945 to August 17, 1945. ... Kinmochi Saionji Saionji Kinmochi (西園寺 公望 Saionji Kinmochi October 23, 1849–November 24, 1940) was a Japanese politician and the 12th (January 7, 1906–July 14, 1908) and 14th (August 30, 1911–December 21, 1912) Prime Minister of Japan. ...

The rebels were fighting in the name of the Emperor against what they saw as a self-serving, overly political government that needed to pay more attention to the troubled domestic economy. Hirohito responded by ordering the army and navy to suppress the revolt. Elements of the armed services interested in the conquest of Asia saw this as an opportunity to use the rebel's actions as an excuse for the military to seize greater power over the government. On the 29th, both services reported that they had captured all the rebels, and either executed them or demanded that they commit ritual suicide. Martial law was imposed until July, and Okada was forced to resign in March, making way for a new premier, Hirota Koki (who ended up signing Japan's alliance with Germany). Emperor Hirohito of Japan (Japanese: 裕仁) (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 1926 to 1989. ... Seppuku with ritual attire and second (staged) General Akashi Gidayu preparing to commit Seppuku after losing a battle for his master in 1582. ... Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect (usually after a formal declaration) when a military authority takes control of the normal administration of justice. ... Koki Hirota (広田 弘毅 Hirota Kōki, February 14, 1878–December 23, 1948) was a Japanese politician and the 32nd Prime Minister of Japan from March 9, 1936 to February 2, 1937. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

After some initial success, the coup started to unravel as the Emperor, General Hideki Tojo and surprisingly General Honjo (once a known supporter of Sadao Araki) acted against the rebels. The Emperor showed unexpected firmness. After a brief political crisis and stalling from the military, the rebels were forced to surrender. In the aftermath, many radical officers were retired and the coup leaders were tried and executed. Hideki Tojo Hideki Tojo (Kyūjitai: 東條 英機; Shinjitai: 東条 英機; ) (December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army, a nationalist thinker, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan; he served as prime minister during much of World War II, from October 18, 1941 to July 22, 1944. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Whatever the motive, February 26 wiped out the pro-peace factions in Japan and placed the entire country on a solid militarist footing. It was an important step in the escalation in 1937 of the Second Sino-Japanese War, towards Shanghai and the Nanjing massacre. Combatants Republic of China Empire of Japan Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Zhu De, He Yingqin Tojo Hideki, Matsui Iwane, Minami Jiro, Kesago Nakajima, Toshizo Nishio, Neiji Okamura. ... Shanghai (Chinese: 上海; pinyin: ; Shanghainese: ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is Chinas largest city by population. ... The Nanking Massacre (Chinese: 南京大屠殺, pinyin: Nánjīng Dàtúshā; Japanese: 南京大虐殺, Nankin Daigyakusatsu), also known as the Rape of Nanking and sometimes in Japan as the Nanking Incident (南京事件, Nankin Jiken), refers to what many historians recognize as widespread atrocities committed by the Japanese army in and around Nanking (now Nanjing...

The story behind the February 26 Incident is controversial in Japan, and has been the subject of many movies and fictional stories. Although there is no conclusive evidence to support their position, many believe that Hirohito's younger brother, Prince Chichibu Yasuhito, was behind the revolt. Some conspiracy theorists have gone as far as to say that Hirohito and his cohorts staged the rebellion to create the perception of a need for stronger internal security measures. Prince Chichibu at the 1937 World Boy Scout Jamboree Prince Chichibu (Yasuhito) of Japan, (25 June 1903 - 24 January 1953) (Chichibu no miya Yasuhito Shinnō), also known as Prince Yasuhito, was the second son of the Emperor Taisho and a younger brother of the Emperor Shōwa. ... Emperor Hirohito of Japan (Japanese: 裕仁) (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 1926 to 1989. ...

See also

• List of active participants in the February 26 incident

The following were among the active participants in the 2-26 incident: Sadao Araki Kingoro Hashimoto Fusanosuke Kuhara Jiro Minami Kantaro Suzuki (seriously wounded in the 2-26 incident) Categories: ...

External links

• Commentary article in the Philippine Daily Enquirer
• Excerpt from Yukio Mishima's Patriotism, a fictional account of 2-26