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The was an abortive coup d'état attempt in Japan, in March 1931, launched by the radical ''Sakurakai'' secret society within the Imperial Japanese Army, aided by civilian ultranationalist groups. ==Background and History== The start of the March Incident of 1931 may be traced back to the autumn of 1930, when the foundation of the ''Sakurakai'' (Cherry Society) by Imperial Japanese Army Lieutenant Colonel Kingoro Hashimoto and Captain Isamu Chō. The cherry blossom was symbolic of self-sacrifice, and was a symbol used by the military to symbolize the fleeting life of a soldier. The avowed goal of the ''Sakurakai'' was political reform through elimination of corrupt party politics and the establishment of a totalitarian state socialist government run by the military. The new government would rid the country of corrupt politics, unfair distribution of wealth in the ''zaibatsu'' and perceived degenerative influences corrupting Japan's public morals.〔Kiernan, ''Blood and Soil.'' Pp.466〕 After the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi, Prince Kinmochi Saionji (the last ''genrō'' ) and Lord Privy Seal Makino Nobuaki considered recommending General Kazushige Ugaki to the post of prime minister. However, they later decided that a civilian nominee would be best for Japan at the time. This change incensed the militarist party within the Imperial Japanese Army, and several leading generals called on Hashimoto and his ''Sakurakai'' to plan a coup d'etat to bring Ugaki into power.〔Harries, ''Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army'', page 147〕 Hashimoto's plan involved a three-phase program:〔Sims, ''Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation 1868-2000'', page 155〕 1. Massive riots would be instigated in Tokyo, which would force the government to call-out troops and proclaim martial law. 2. The Imperial Japanese Army would execute a coup d'etat and seize power. 3. A new Cabinet would be formed under the premiership of the then-War Minister, General Kazushige Ugaki. The project was underwritten by a 200,000 Yen donation by Yoshichika Tokugawa, ultrarightist member of the House of Peers, son of the last ''daimyo'' of Nagoya, founder of the Tokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya and Emperor Showa's second cousin. Ultrarightist civilian organizations led by Kanichiro Kamei and Shūmei Ōkawa, fomented a commotion outside the Diet Building in Tokyo late in February 1931. However, due to logistics difficulties, the disturbance failed to attract enough people, and the hoped-for riot failed to occur. Hashimoto consulted with Ōkawa, who wrote Ugaki on 3 March 1931, explaining the plot and demanding the call-out of troops and action on the general's part. Ugaki, either lukewarm from the start, or having a change in heart after seeing the failure of the riot to take off in February, refused to cooperate. Ugaki had hopes of becoming head of the ''Rikken Minseito'' party, and thus had a chance of becoming prime minister by legal means, rather than a coup. It is also likely that Ugaki foresaw that a military dictatorship would alienate powerful sectors of the Japanese elite (bureaucrats, court nobles, ''zaibatsu'' industrialists, etc.) whose support he would need in case of a total war.〔 The plotters attempted again to start a riot again on 17 March 1931 (two days before the planned coup d'état was to take place), but again the projected 10,000 rioters failed to materialize, and the leaders were this time arrested and the whole affair disintegrated. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「March Incident」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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