February 26, 1936 Incident

Perhaps the most serious coup attempt of Japan, before World War Two in the Pacific, was the February 26, 1936 Incident.

Theory
Ikki Kita, wrote, in his book A Plan for the Reorganization of Japan, that the land should follow "state socialism", in which landowners, industrialists, and even some aristocrats were usurpers, interfering with a "gospel of the sword" that could unify "our seven hundred million brothers in China and India", led by Japan.

1931 preamble
Kita's disciple Mitsugi Nishida was a military officer, but resented the materialistic influence of the Three Crows. He supported what the British Embassy termed "the realization of a system of Fascist dictatorship, based on aggressive militarism, chauvinism, and the destruction of all liberal principles of government." He formed a group called the Young Officers, who made their first action in the March 1931 Incident, with the intent of making Sadao Araki the Prime Minister. Araki was head of the Imperial Way faction

They were angry that sympathetic General Jinzaburo Mazaki as Inspector General of Military Education had been replaced,

Hirohito's reaction
Emperor Hirohito, in spite of the Imperial Way's idealization of the throne, strongly disapproved and ordered counteraction.

Aftermath
The leading officers, as well as two civilian theorists, Ikki Kita and Mitsugi Nishida, were executed.