Mishima incident

The incident shocked Japan and made international headlines because of such a renowned author's unprecedented actions. Mishima's death was seen to mark the end of an era. It also had a major impact on Japan's political climate, including the rise to the New Right, which grew out of minzoku-ha. A survey conducted by the monthly magazine Bungei Shunjū in 2000 on the "20 Greatest Events of the 20th Century," the Mishima Incident was ranked second, ahead of global events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

While the incident constituted a political protest meant to demonstrate their political vision, judicial investigations and Mishima's suicide notes reveal that the action itself was not intended to effect a government overthrow or a seizure of power. Even so, the incident is considered to possess significant historical importance and to have exerted a lasting impact on Japanese society.

Incident

Visit and restraint of commander

Around 10:58 am on November 25, 1970, Yukio Mishima (age 45), along with four Tatenokai members – Masakatsu Morita (age 25), Masayoshi Koga (小賀正義; age 22), Masahiro Ogawa (小川正洋; age 22), and Hiroyasu Koga (age 23) – passed through the Yotsuya Gate (四谷門), the main gate of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Camp Ichigaya (市ヶ谷駐屯地) by car, arriving at the front entrance that led to the Commandant General's office on the second floor of the Eastern Army Headquarters. Guided by Major Yasuharu Sawamoto (沢本泰治), who met them there, they went up the front staircase, then escorted to the Commandant General’s office by Colonel Isamu Hara (原勇), Chief of the Administration Division of the Eastern Army HQ.

This visit had been booked in advance on November 21, and Sergeant Ryoichi Nakao (中尾良一) of the Operations Office had contacted the guard post via internal line to give them a free passage. The gatekeeper, Sergeant Akira Suzuki (鈴木偣), simply exchanged salutes with Mishima in the passenger seat and he was allowed through.

Led to the reception area and invited to take a seat, Mishima called out the names of Morita and the three others one by one – keeping them standing at attention – and introduced them to the Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Kanetoshi Mashita (益田兼利; age 57), as "outstanding members" to be honored. He explained his reason for bringing the four along in the office, saying, "I brought these men today because during the trial enlistment in November, they selflessly carried an injured comrade on their backs all the way down the mountain. I will commend them at today's regular meeting at Ichigaya Hall (市ヶ谷会館), so I brought them here hoping to introduce them to you first. Since we have our meeting today, we came in formal uniform."

As General Mashita and Mishima were conversing on the sofa facing each other, the topic turned to the Japanese sword Mishima had brought with him. When Mashita asked, "Is it genuine?" and "Don't the police question you for carrying such a military sword (軍刀, guntō)?", Mishima replied, "This guntō (ceremonial sword) features a blade of Seki Magoroku (関孫六), remounted with military fittings. Would you like to see the certificate of authenticity?" and showed him the document inscribed with "Seki Kanemoto" (関兼元).

Mishima unsheathed his sword and asked Masayoshi Koga (nickname "Chibi-Koga") for a tenugui (traditional towel) to wipe off the oil, saying, "Koga, a handkerchief", which was a prearranged signal to begin action. However, as Mashita made an unexpected move – heading toward his desk while saying, "How about washi tissue paper (ちり紙, chirigami)?" – Chibi-Koga lost sight of his task and had no choice but to approach Mishima and hand him a tenugui. Unable to find a suitable chirigami tissue, Mashita returned to the sofa and sat down next to Mishima to look at the sword.

Mishima wiped the blade with a tenugui and handed the sword over to Mashita. After seeing the hamon (edge pattern), Mashita nodded and said, "It's a fine katana. This katana crest is indeed the Three Cedar Trees (三本杉, Sambon sugi)," and returned it to Mishima before returning to his seat. It was now about 11:05 am. Mishima wiped the blade again, handed the tenugui to Chibi-Koga who had stepped up beside him, and sheathed the sword to its scabbard with a sharp click of the tsuba, signaling the instruction to him with a glance.

Taking that as a signal, Chibi-Koga, who was pretending to return to his seat, quickly went behind the General Mashita and covered the General Mashita's mouth with the tenugui he was holding, after which Masahiro Ogawa and Hiroyasu Koga (nickname "Furu-Koga") next tied the General Mashita to a chair with thin rope and restrained him. Chibi-Koga, who was given another tenugui by Furu-Koga, gagged the General Mashita while saying, "I won't gag you so to stop breathing," and pointed a tantō (short blade) at him.

General Mashita, initially thinking that everyone was joking about how strong they had become during ranger training, said, "Mr. Mishima, stop joking," but Mishima, with his sword still drawn, glared at General Mashita with a serious expression, so the General Mashita realized that something was not right. Meanwhile, Masakatsu Morita had barricaded the main entrance to the Commandant General's office, and the three entrances to the Chief of Staff's office and the Vice Chief of Staff's office, all of which had double doors, with desks, chairs, flower pots, etc.

Fight with the staff officers

Major Yasuharu Sawamoto, who was waiting for the right time to serve tea, noticed a noise coming from the Commandant General's room, and Colonel Isamu Hara, who received the report from Sawamoto, went out into the hallway and peeked into the room through the frosted glass window at the front entrance (a strip of cellophane tape had been applied to make it slightly more transparent), where he saw the Tatenokai members standing behind the General Mashita. The General looked as if he was receiving a massage, but his movements were unnatural, so when Hara tried to enter, he found the door locked.

Colonel Hara threw himself against the door, creating a gap of about 20 to 30 centimeters. "Don't come in! Don't come in!" cried Masakatsu Morita from inside the room, and a Demands letter was slid out from under the door. After reading it, Colonel Hara and his staff immediately reported to Vice Chief of Administration Major General Akira Yamazaki (山崎皎; age 53) and Vice Chief of Defense Colonel Hidenobu Yoshimatsu (吉松秀信; age 50) that "Mishima and his members have occupied the Commandant General's office and have confined the General Mashita." An emergency call (非常呼集, Hijō Koshu) was made to the staff, and a subordinate of Major Sawamoto contacted the military police (警務隊, Keimu-tai).

Lieutenant Colonel Haruo Kawabe (川辺晴夫; age 46) and Lieutenant Colonel Nobumasa Nakamura (中村菫正; age 45) were the first to rush in after using their back to break down the barricade protecting the door to the Chief of Staff's office which led to the left of the Commandant General's office. Mishima immediately drew his military sword, Seki Magoroku, and slashed at their backs and other parts of their bodies. He then fought back against Colonel Hara, Sergeant Toshikazu Kasama (笠間寿一; age 36), Sergeant Junzō Isobe (磯部順蔵), and others who had charged in with bokkens, shouting "Get out! Don't get in the way!" and "Read the demand!" When fighting back, Mishima lowered his hips and drew his sword closer to him, and instead of swinging it down from above, he slashed with the tip of the blade. The melee left a sword cut near the door handle. The time was about 11:20 am.

While the five men were retreating, seven more men, Colonel Fujio Kiyono (清野不二雄; age 50), Lieutenant Colonel Kiyoshi Takahashi (高橋清; age 43), Major Katsumi Terao (寺尾克美; age 41), Captain Eijiro Mizuta (水田栄二郎), non-commissioned officer Yoshifumi Kikuchi (菊地義文), Colonel Hidenobu Yoshimatsu, and Major General Akira Yamazaki, rushed in one after another from the side of the Vice Chief of Staff's office. Vice Chief of Defense Colonel Yoshimatsu said, "What are you doing? Let's talk it out," but the fight continued. Hiroyasu Koga threw small tables and chairs at the men, and Masahiro Ogawa fought back with a special baton (特殊警棒, tokushu keibō).

Morita also fought back with his tantō, but Major Terao ripped it away from him. Mishima quickly supported, slashing at Terao and Lieutenant Colonel Takahashi, who had dragged Morita to the ground. When Colonel Kiyono threw an ashtray at Chibi-Koga, who was keeping tabs on the General Mashita, prompting Mishima to slash at Kiyono. Kiyono fought back by throwing a globe, but stumbled and fell. Major General Yamazaki was also slashed, and the JSDF staff officers decided to retreat for the time being, out of concern for the General Mashita's safety. Eight JSDF staff officers were injured in the brawl.

At 11:22 am, an emergency 110 call was placed from the Eastern Army Headquarters to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Command Center. By 11:25 am, the TMPD Public Security Bureau's "Public Security Division 1" – which was originally under normal conditions, for the left-wing extremism's acts of violence Countermeasures Division – had established a temporary headquarters in the Public Security Bureau Director-General's office and contacted the relevant agencies, and dispatched 120 Riot Police Unit members to JGSDF Camp Ichigaya.

The staff members who had retreated outside broke the window of the Commandant General's office from the hallway at around 11:30 am to discuss with Mishima. Lieutenant Colonel Matsuo Kunugi (功刀松男; age 50) was the first to show his face through the window, and was cut on the forehead by a flagpole that had been thrust out from inside. Then Lieutenant Colonel Yoshimatsu tried to persuade Mishima through the window, but Mishima said, "If you accept this Demands, we will spare General Mashita's life," and threw the Demands letter, which had the same contents as the one Morita had slid out from under the door into the hallway, through the broken window into the hallway.

The Demands mainly contained the following statements:

(1) All JSDF personnel of Camp Ichigaya to be assembled in front of the main building by 11:30 am.

(2) Listen quietly to the speeches as set below.

(a) Mishima's speech (scattering our Geki)

(b) Participated students announce their names.

(c) Mishima's instructions to the remaining members of the Tatenokai

(3) The remaining members of the Tatenokai (who are unrelated to this incident) must be quickly summoned from the Ichigaya Hall to make them attend in line.

(4) For the two-hour period from 11:30 am to 1:10 pm, there to be no obstruction of any kind. As long as no obstruction of any kind is done, we will not launch any attacks.

(5) Once the above conditions have been fully complied with and two hours have elapsed, the Commandant General will be handed over to him in safety. He will be escorted by two or more our guards and handed over to you at the main entrance of the main building while still restrained (to prevent him from committing suicide).

(6) If the above conditions are not met, or there is any risk that they will not be met, Mishima will kill the Commandant General at once, and will commit suicide.

— Yukio Mishima, Demands

The senior staff officers decided to accept Mishima's Demands, and at around 11:34 am, Lieutenant Colonel Yoshimatsu told Mishima, "We have decided to assemble the JSDF personnel." Mishima asked him, "Who are you? What authority do you have?" When Colonel Yoshimatsu introduced himself as "the Vice Chief of Defense and the highest authority on the scene," Mishima looked a little relieved, looked at his watch, and said, "Assemble all the JSDF personnel by 12:00 pm."

While waiting for the JSDF personnel to assemble, Mishima ordered Morita to read the Demands to General Mashita as well. General Mashita, whose hands had gone numb, had them loosen the thin rope slightly, then tried to persuade Mishima by saying, "Why are you doing this? Do you hate the JSDF or me? Depending on the content, I may give the speech on your behalf." Mishima replied with points similar to his Geki, which was stating that if things continued as they were, Japan would become a mercenary of the United States forever, and said, "I don't hate either the JSDF or you. As long as they don't interfere, I won't kill you." He then said, "I have come today to give the JSDF the greatest stimulus and spur them into action."

Whether Mishima actually smoked an Imperial gift cigarette Onshi no Tabako in the Commandant General's office remains unknown. However, two days prior, remarking, "We should at least have enough time to smoke a cigarette at the scene," he had handed the members the Onshi no Tabako he received at the autumn 1966 Imperial garden party (園遊会, Enyukai), instructing them to pack them into the attaché case along with the other items.

At 11:40 am, an announcement was made over the loudspeaker within Camp Ichigaya, repeatedly saying, "Personnel whose duties are not disrupted are requested to assemble in front of the main building entrance." At 11:46 am, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department gave the order to arrest Mishima and all the others. Police cars and white jeeps of the military police force entered Camp Ichigaya one after another at high speed. By this time, the first reports of the incident had already been broadcast on television and radio.

Speech on the balcony

About 800 to 1000 JSDF personnel who had heard the announcement within the unit began to gather in the front yard in front of the main entrance of the Eastern Army Headquarters building. Some of them had already started eating lunch in the dining hall, but stopped doing so to join. Confusing messages were exchanged among them, such as "a mob has broken in and someone has been slashed," "the Commandant General has been taken hostage," "the Red Army Faction of Communist League (赤軍派, Sekigunn ha) must have come," and "Is Yukio Mishima there too?"

At about 11:55 am, Masakatsu Morita and Masahiro Ogawa, who wearing hachimaki headbands and white gloves, scattered many copies of Geki and hung the banners with their Demands drawn with ink brush strokes from the balcony in front of the Commandant General's office. Two JSDF personnel jumped up and try to pull the banner down, but were unable to reach it. Riot Police Unit members carrying duralumin shields, and the vehicles belonging to newspaper and television reporters were also gathered in the front yard.

On that day, about 30 members of the Tatenokai had come to Ichigaya Hall in Camp Ichigaya, located only about 50 meters from the Eastern Army Headquarters building, for their regular meeting, but the JSDF senior staff officers did not accept Mishima's demands and instead confined them inside the hall, placing them under police guard and not summoning them to assemble in front of the main entrance of the Eastern Army Headquarters building. Sensing that something was happened, and becoming agitated, a skirmish broke out between these Tatenokai members and police or the JSDF; the Tatenokai members were subdued with pistols.

A siren announcing noon rang out in the sky above Camp Ichigaya, and Mishima stood on the balcony, holding up in his right hand the unsheathed Japanese sword "Seki Magoroku," shining in the sunlight. The sword was only visible for a moment. Mishima wore a white hachimaki headband with a red hinomaru circle, in which the center bearing the kanji for "To be reborn seven times to serve the country" (七生報國, Shichishō hōkoku). Behind him to the right, Morita, wearing an identical hachimaki, stood like a guardian god (仁王立ち, Nio-dachi), gazing straight ahead.

Amidst voices of "It's Mishima," "What's that?", and "You idiot!" Mishima began his speech, raising his white-gloved fist and screaming so that the assembled JSDF personnel could hear. It was a speech urging a revolt to amend the Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, calling for a return to the "original purpose of the military's founding" to "protect Japan." The message was almost the same as that in the Geki, which had been scattered beforehand. In the sky above, several media helicopters that had quickly caught wind of the incident were already circling, making a lot of noise.

Listen, guys. Be quiet. Be quiet. Listen to what I'm saying. A man is staking his life to appeal to you all. Listen. If the Japanese don't stand up here now, if the Japan Self-Defense Forces don't stand up, there will be no constitutional reform. You will forever become just the troops for America. You and Japan... commands will only come from America. It's called civilian control... As for civilian control, it's not civilian control that will be suppressed under the new constitution.
Therefore, I've waited for four years. For the day when the Japan Self-Defense Forces would rise up. ... I've waited for four years ... I'm waiting ... for the last 30 minutes. You are all bushi, aren't you? If you are bushi, why would you protect the "constitution that denies your existence"? Why would you bow down and cringe to the "constitution that denies you" for the sake of the "constitution that denies you yourselves"? As long as this exists, you will never be saved.

— Yukio Mishima, Speech on the balcony

Many of the JSDF personnel shouted at Mishima angrily, saying, "We can't hear you," "Pull back!", "Come down and talk," "What the hell do such you know?", and "You idiot!" When a heckler shouted, "Why did you hurt our comrades?", Mishima immediately responded in a forceful voice, saying, "It's because they resisted our demands."

Sergeant K (his name is withheld in the original text), who was present at the scene, clicked his tongue at the noisy hecklers and later said, "I wanted to listen properly to what Yukio Mishima was screaming at the top of his lungs." "There were parts where I couldn't hear what he was saying because of the heckling, but emotionally I understood that Mishima might have had a point,"

Mishima shouted, "Is there not even one man among you who will rise up with me?" and waited in silence for about 5 to 10 seconds, but the JSDF personnel continued to yell abuse at him, calling him a "Madman!" and saying "There's no way someone like that exists." The unexpected intensity of the shouts and the noise from the helicopters meant that the speech was cut short after just 10 minutes, much shorter than planned. One has speculated that Mishima cut his speech short because he caught the wind of the Riot Police Unit making preparations to storm into the first floor then.

After wrapping up his speech, Mishima and Morita headed towards the Imperial Palace and chanted "Long live the Emperor!" (天皇陛下万歳, Tennō heika banzai) three times. Even then, the jeers of "Drag him down" and "Shoot him" made their chants nearly inaudible. On that day, the 32nd Infantry Regiment (第32普通科連隊) under the 1st Division had gone to the East Fuji Maneuver Area, leaving behind about 100 troops, while its 900 elite troops were absent. Based on Morita's information, Mishima mistakenly thought that only the regimental commander was absent. Many of the JSDF personnel gathered in front of the balcony were the persons in charge of communications, materials, supplies, and other duties, and as such were not the "bushi" that Mishima had envisioned and expected. The writer Yaeko Nogami, who watched Mishima's speech on television, has recalled how she felt at the time, saying that if she were his mother, she would have "wanted to run over there and deliver the microphone to him."

Mishima did not use a microphone because he placed an emphasis on getting as close as possible to the spirituality of the Shinpūren rebellion by the God-honoring party (敬神党, Keishintō), one of the parties formed by samurai with the philosophy of Sonnō jōi. He insisted on using his own voice to roar, without using a microphone or loudspeaker. In his dialogue with Fusao Hayashi, Dialogue: Theory about the Japanese (対話・日本人論, Taiwa: Nihonjin ron) (1966), Mishima had spoken passionately about how the Shinpūren samurai placed white fans on their heads when passing under electric wires to oppose Western civilization, and about the meaning of their yamato-damashii in venture fighting with only Japanese swords.

Regarding the reason why the JSDF personnel did not listen carefully to Mishima's speeches, the manga artist Shigeru Mizuki has reflected in 1989, some 20 years later, saying, "The reason why Mishima was not taken seriously by the JSDF personnel, even though he emphasized Bushidō, was probably because the JSDF personnel at the time had also already become inclined toward individualism and hedonism in economically prosperous Japan."

The Weekly magazine Sunday Mainichi (サンデー毎日) reporter Takao Tokuoka (徳岡孝夫) and NHK reporter Munekatsu Date (伊達宗克) had been contacted in advance by Mishima and were asked and promised to come to Ichigaya Hall at 11:00 am on the morning of the day. When Tokuoka and Date arrived at the hall, they were each given an envelope containing Mishima's letter, Geki, and the last commemorative photo of the five men, via Kenichi Tanaka (田中健一) and Kenji Kurata (倉田賢司), respectively, of the Tatenokai members who were close friends of Masakatsu Morita. Mishima had entrusted it to them in case the Geki was confiscated by the police and the incident was covered up. Tokuoka had hidden it inside his sock, run toward the balcony, and listened to the speech.

Television station personnel who rushed to the front yard have testified that they could barely hear Mishima's speech because of the heckling and noise of helicopters, but Tokuoka has said, "If only they had been willing to listen, they could have heard it," "Why didn't they calm their minds a little more and listen?", and "We magazine reporters were able to hear the speech relatively well, perhaps our ears are different to those of the television personnel."

Nippon Cultural Broadcasting was the only station to record the entire speech. By tying a microphone to a tree branch, they managed to capture a clear recording of Mishima's voice shouting angrily at the JSDF personnel, "Are you really bushi at all like that!" amid the roar of insults and the noise of news helicopters, and this became a scoop. The recording tape also includes Morita's voice saying "Everyone please listen."

Seppuku

At around 12:10 pm, Mishima returned to the Commandant General's office with Morita from the balcony and muttered to himself, "I probably spoke for about 20 minutes. It seems my message didn't get across." He then stood in front of General Mashita and said, "We have no grudge against you. We did it to return the JSDF to the Emperor. I had no choice but to do this," and unbuttoned his uniform.

Mishima received the tantō that Masayoshi Koga (小賀正義; Chibi-Koga) was pointed at the General Mashita through Morita, and handed Morita his own unsheathed Japanese sword, "Seki Magoroku", in return. Then, on the red carpet about three meters away from the General Mashita, with his upper body naked, holding the tantō in both hands, sat seiza-style facing the balcony, then tried to dissuade Morita from committing suicide by telling him, words: "Morita, you must live, not die.", "You stop dying."

According to the plan, Mishima would write the character "Martial (武, Bu)" on a piece of square drawing paper (色紙, sikishi) with the blood of seppuku, so Chibi-Koga handed the paper over to Mishima, who replied, "I don't have to do that anymore," with a sad smile, and handed him the expensive watch he was wearing on his right arm, saying, "Koga, I'll give this to you." And Mishima said, "Hmm," putting his energy into the process, and then said, "Yaaaaa" thrust the tantō into his left side belly with both hands, and committed seppuku in a straight line manner (真一文字作法, shin ichimonnji sahō) to the right.

Morita, the kaishakunin standing behind Mishima to the left, was about to commit seppuku himself after Mishima. Perhaps he was hesitant in regards to his respected mentor, but he swung his sword down on Mishima's neck twice; despite this, he only managed to cut it halfway through, and Mishima's body quietly leaned forward. Seeing that Mishima was still alive, Chibi-Koga and Hiroyasu Koga (Furu-Koga) called out, "Morita-san, one more blow," and "Finish him off," and Morita swung his sword down for the third time. The General Mashita was trying to stop their actions, shouting, "Stop it," "Don't kaishaku him, don't finish him off."

Morita, whose kaishaku did not go well, said, "I'll leave it to you, Hiro-chan," and handed the sword to Furu-Koga. Koga decapitated Mishima in one stroke, following the ancient tradition of leaving only a thin layer of skin on the neck. Then, Chibi-Koga used the tantō that Mishima had been holding to cut off the skin of Mishima's neck from his body. During this process, Masahiro Ogawa kept watch near the main entrance door of the room to make sure that the JSDF staff officers would not interfere with Mishima's seppuku.

Next, Morita also took off his uniform jacket, sat seiza-style next to Mishima's body, and committed seppuku, signaling "Not yet" and "Okay," and upon receiving the signal, Furu-Koga, the kaishakunin, decapitated Morita in one stroke. Afterwards, Chibi-Koga, Ogawa, and Furu-Koga turned the bodies of Mishima and Morita over onto their backs, covered them with their uniforms, and lined up their heads. The General Mashita called to the three, "How about you all worship them?" and, "How about you turn yourself in police?"

The three men removed the ropes from the General Mashita's feet and said, "By order of Mishima Sensei, we will escort you until you are handed over to the JSDF staff officers." When the General Mashita asked, "I won't go wild. Are you going to put me out in front of the people with my hands tied?", the three obediently released him from all restraints. Seeing the three join their hands in prayer toward the heads of Mishima and Morita, and shed tears in silence, the General Mashita said, "Cry as much as you can..." and sat seiza-style, closed his eyes and joined his hands in prayer, saying, "Let me pray for their souls as well."

For Mashita, this was the second time he had witnessed a seppuku. During the war, Mashita served as a staff officer in the Imperial Japanese Army, and just after the war ended he was once asked for observer of the committing seppuku, from his close friend and colleague, Major Makoto Haruke (晴気誠).

A little after 12:20 pm, Ogawa and Furu-Koga came out from the front entrance of the Commandant General's office, supporting the General Mashita from either side, and Chibi-Koga came out into the hallway carrying the Japanese sword, "Seki Magoroku". The three handed the General Mashita to Colonel Yoshimatsu, handed over the Japanese sword, and were arrested on the spot by officers from Ushigome Police Station (牛込警察署).

Perhaps out of kindness, the police officers did not handcuff the three who were held out their hands. As they were being taken away in a patrol car from the main entrance where a crowd of reporters was waiting, some JSDF officers punched the three on the head, so the police officer stopped them, shouting, "You idiots! What are you doing?"

At 12:23 pm, the police chief entered the Commandant General's office and confirmed the two deaths. Before then, "You were close to Yukio Mishima, weren't you? Go there immediately and persuade him to stop," Security Chief Kuniyasu Tsuchida (土田國保) had instructed to Atsuyuki Sassa (佐々淳行), counselor of the Police Affairs Department (警務部, Keimu bu) and chief of the First Personnel Division. Sassa rushed to the scene from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, but was too late in time to stop Mishima from committing suicide. Sassa has recalled what happened when he entered the Commandant General's office to see Mishima's body: "The carpet under my feet made a squelching sound. I looked and saw a sea of blood. The carpet was red, so at first, I couldn't tell it was blood. I can still remember that eerie feeling."

The General Mashita, who was made a hostage, later spoke in court, "I didn't feel hate towards the defendants even at that time," and has added, "Thinking about the country of Japan, thinking about the JSDF, the pure hearts of thinking about our country that did that kind of thing, I want to buy it as an individual."

Among their belongings found at the scene were six strips of paper (短冊, tanzaku) with death poems written on them: two by Mishima, one by Morita, and one each by the remaining members. Although the plan called for Chibi-Koga, Furu-Koga and Ogawa to live, there was always the possibility of something unforeseen developing which might require them also to die. Their death poems are as follows:

益荒男が たばさむ太刀の 鞘鳴りに 幾とせ耐へて 今日の初霜

(Masurao ga Tabasamu tachi no Sayanari ni Ikutose taete Kyō no hatsushimo)
The sheaths of swords rattle / As after years of endurance / Brave men set out / To tread upon the first frost of the year.

For how many years / Has the warrior endured / The rattling of / The sword he wears at his side: / The first fall of frost came today. (Translated by Donald Keene)
— Yukio Mishima, Death Poem

散るをいとふ 世にも人にも さきがけて 散るこそ花と 吹く小夜嵐

(Chiru wo itou Yo ni mo Hito ni mo Sakigakete Chiru koso Hana to Fuku Sayoarashi)
A small night storm blows / Saying 'falling is the essence of a flower' / Preceding those who hesitate.

Storm winds at night blow / The message that to fall before / The world and before men / By whom falling is dreaded / Is the mark of a flower. (Translated by Donald Keene)
— Yukio Mishima, Death Poem

今日にかけて かねて誓ひし 我が胸の 思ひを知るは 野分のみかは

(Kyō ni kakete Kanete chikaishi Waga mune no Omoi wo shiruwa Nowaki nomi kawa)

I have been betting to this day / And have made a vow for a long time to today / I wonder if only the autumn storm would know, (maybe someone would know) / Of the feelings in my heart.
— Masakatsu Morita, Death Poem

火と燃ゆる 大和心を はるかなる 大みこころの 見そなはすまで

(Hi to moyuru Yamato gokoro wo Haruka naru Ōmikokoro no Misonawasu made)

My Yamato-damashii, / Burns like fire, / And it will keep burning / Until the far away Emperor's heart could see it.
— Masayoshi Koga, Death Poem

雲をらび しら雪さやぐ 富士の根の 歌の心ぞ もののふの道

(Kumo orabi Shirayuki sayagu Fuji no ne no Uta no kokoro zo Mononofu no michi)

The howling of clouds, / The rustling of white snow, / Seen from the foot of Mount Fuji, / This is the spirit of the song, / The path of warriors.
— Masahiro Ogawa, Death Poem

獅子となり 虎となりても 国のため ますらをぶりも 神のまにまに

(Shisi to nari Tora to naritemo Kuni no tame Masurao buri mo Kami no manima ni)

Even if I become a lion, / Or a tiger, / For the sake of my country / My behaving strong and brave man as a Japanese sword, / On God's command.
— Hiroyasu Koga, Death Poem

Masakatsu Morita died at the age of 25, preferred to pronounce his first-name "Certain victory" (必勝, Hisshō) in on'yomi rather than "Masakatsu" in kun'yomi.

Aftermath of the day

Of the roughly 30 Tatenokai members held under police guard at Ichigaya Hall, several of Morita's friends became agitated on hearing of the incident, fiercely resisted and demanded to head to the scene, leading to three of them – Kenichi Tanaka, Takemi Imai (今井丈美), and Shunichi Nishio (西尾俊一) – were arrested for obstruction of justice. The members who remained in the hall were asked to them, and after lining up and singing the national anthem "Kimigayo", and chanted "Long live the Emperor!" three times, they were taken to Yotsuya Police Station.

Mishima's father, Azusa Hiraoka (平岡梓), learned of the incident on the noon news on television and was watching the screen intently. He misread the kanji characters "beheaded" (介錯, kaishaku), "died" (死亡, shibō) in the news flash captions, "介錯" (kaishaku) for "care" (介抱, kaihō), and was upset and resented the doctor, wondering why his son died despite being given care. Meanwhile, Mishima's mother, Shizue (倭文重), and his wife, Yōko (瑤子), who heard about the situation while out, rushed home, and the family was thrown into chaos as if it were a bolt from the blue. Yōko was so shocked that she took to bed.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m., an Eastern Army Headquarters press conference erupted into confusion when a Metropolitan Police Department official announced that the two men had died by suicide. Reporters pressed for confirmation until groans and murmurs spread through the room at the news that both had been decapitated. Colonel Yoshimatsu recounted the incident to reporters, who pressed him about the extraordinary details of the seppuku and kaishaku. When one asked whether the head had been severed from the body, Yoshimatsu confirmed it. The reporters then hurried outside to file their reports. Henry Scott-Stokes was also present at the press conference as the only foreign reporter.

The shocking news of the coup call and subsequent seppuku suicide by Mishima – an author active in various fields and widely known as a Nobel Prize in Literature candidate – was simultaneously broadcast as a breaking news report on television and radio both in Japan and abroad, while newspapers issued special editions. Broadcasters quickly replaced regular programming with special coverage and discussions among intellectuals and commentators. Over nine right-wing groups flocked to the front of the Camp Ichigaya.

At a press conference held at the Defense Agency from 12:30 pm, Minister of Defense Yasuhiro Nakasone called the incident "a very regrettable incident" and criticized Mishima's actions as "an enormous nuisance" and "destructive to democratic order." Prime Minister Eisaku Satō, who heard the news at the Prime Minister's Office, was also surrounded by reporters and commented, "I can only think that he has gone mad. This is out of the ordinary." Until then, Nakasone and Satō had viewed Mishima's trial enlistment in the JGSDF favorably as a positive PR opportunity for the JSDF, but after the incident they made critical remarks in their positions as politicians.

One British journalist, after hearing the words of politicians such as Nakasone and Satō, tearfully told a literary critic Takeshi Muramatsu (村松剛), "Why is there not a single politician who defends Mishima? Mishima has never seemed so great and Japanese politicians have never seemed so small."

After being released, General Mashita appeared before the JSDF personnel and greeted them, waving his left hand high and saying, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but as you can see, I'm doing fine. Please don't worry." The personnel responded with cheers of "That's great, that's great" and "All right, you did your best" and then a burst of applause. A Tokyo Shimbun reporter who was covering the scene said that he found the scene unbearable, and wrote the newspaper column about his sense of discomfort with the group's behavior, which was not like that of a "military" group.

Of course, their behaviors were not a mourning for Mishima's suicide. And not a condemnation of the actions of Mishima and others who challenged democracy, nor was it a round of applause indicative of a determination to remain committed to the military of a peaceful nation. It was, so to speak, a sign of back-patting for the "president" who had escaped from the captivity of thugs, and a sign of the team spirit of salarymen.
Instructions were given over the microphone to the remaining JSDF personnel. "Everyone, please go back to work. Please do so," the voice said in a pleading tone, but the personnel showed no signs of leaving. (Omitted) The salaryman-like unity and the disorder state of the JSDF was inadvertently exposed.

— Tokyo Shimbun, Column (November 25, 1970)

Yasunari Kawabata who was close to Mishima, received the news of the incident while out, and at around 1:20 pm, rushed to the Eastern Army Headquarters, but was unable to approach the Commandant General's office as the police were investigating the scene. Surrounded by reporters, Kawabata, looking stunned and exhausted, said, "I am simply shocked. I never imagined something like this would happen – It's a shame he died in this way." Shintaro Ishihara, who was a member of the House of Councillors at the time, also visited the Eastern Army Headquarters but did not enter the office. Ishihara commented to the assembled press corps, "It can only be described as modern-day madness," and "It was a very fruitless act that risked his young lives."

At 2:00 pm, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department set up the "Special Investigation Headquarters for the Case of the Tatenokai's Infiltration into the JSDF, Illegal Confinement, and Seppuku Suicide" within Ushigome Police Station.

One of the JSDF highest-ranking officers concluded his impressions of that day by saying, "The reaction of the JSDF personnel after learning of Mishima's suicide changed completely. Everyone was vague in their words, remained silent with complicated expressions, and seemed stunned. They probably never expected that he would commit suicide. The shock seems to be great."

Sergeant K, who had seen Mishima's speech, spoke briefly, "When I heard that he had committed seppuku, I stood there for about an hour, losing myself in my thoughts." Staff Office Major T also spoke, "I never thought he would die! It was a terrible shock. I had been listening to the speech the whole time, but I could hardly hear it because of the heckling from the younger soldiers. If he was risking his life for words, we should have listened quietly."

At 5:15 pm, Mishima and Morita's heads were each placed in plastic bags, for autopsy, also their bodies were placed in caskets and transported from Camp Ichigaya to Ushigome Police Station, where the bodies were placed. Some ethnic nationalist students and other right-wing groups came to the Police Station to pay their respects, and a temporary altar was set up, but it was soon removed.

The Asahi Shimbun evening paper that day carried a secretly taken photograph showing Mishima and Morita's heads illuminated by the sunlight streaming in through the window.

Shortly after 10 pm, the Metropolitan Police Department began searches of Mishima's residence and Morita's apartment. Mishima's house was searched until around 4 am the following day, November 26. In Mishima's study room, in addition to letters addressed to family, friends, the Tatenokai members, acquaintances including Ivan Morris and Donald Keene, on his desk were found clippings from Promise that I haven't been Fulfilled: 25 years in me (果たし得てゐない約束―私の中の二十五年, Hatashi ete inai Yakusoku: Watashi no naka no 25 nen) (Sankei Shimbun, July 7, 1970, issue) and One Hundred People Who Will Changing the World of the 1970s: Yukio Mishima (Asahi Shimbun, September 22, 1970, issue), and a suicide note-like memo was also found, which read, "If life is limited, I would like to live forever. Mishima Yukio."

A large number of reporters were crowded on the street in front of the closed gate of Mishima's residence, and behind them, female students who were Mishima fans could be seen crying and embracing each other's shoulders. And a group of ethnic nationalist male students in stand-up collared school uniforms stood for a long time, upright and motionless, cheeks wet with tears, trying to hold back sobs.

Autopsy, physical evidence, and arrest charges

On the following day, November 26, Professor Ginjiro Saitō (斎藤銀次郎) performed an autopsy on Mishima's body, and Professor Tadataka Funao (船尾忠孝) performed an autopsy on Morita's body in the forensic autopsy room of Keio University Hospital (慶應義塾大学病院), from 11:20 am to 1:25 pm. The autopsies determined that the cause of death for both men was "Disconnection of the neck due to a split wound," with the following findings:

Yukio Mishima:
His neck was cut at least three times, with cuts measuring 7 cm, 6 cm, 4 cm and 3 cm. There is an 11.5cm cut on his right shoulder where the sword appears to have missed, and a small chip cut under his left jaw.
His abdomen was cut 5.5cm to the right and 8.5cm to the left, centered on his navel, and was 4cm deep. The left cut reached his small intestine, and ran in a straight line from left to right.
Height 163cm. 45 years old, but has the developed youthful muscles of a 30-something. Brain weighs 1,440g. Blood type A.

— Ginjiro Saitō, Autopsy report (November 26, 1970)

Masakatsu Morita:
The area between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae was cut off with a single slash. The wound on his abdomen was horizontal from left to right, 7cm to the left of his navel, 4cm deep, from there a shallow cut 5.4cm to the right, and a cut 5cm to the right of his navel. A small 0.5cm cut on his right shoulder.
Height 167cm. A young, beautiful body.

— Tadataka Funao, Autopsy report (November 26, 1970)

Mishima committed seppuku in such a dignified manner that about 50 centimeters of his small intestine was exposed. In addition, a sword from kaishaku hit his jaw, shattering his molars, and there were traces of him trying to bite off his tongue.

According to a police inspection, the Japanese sword "Seki Magoroku" used in the kaishaku was bent in an S-shape from the middle to the tip due to the impact of the kaishaku. Also, a former Imperial Japanese Army Sergeant Hiroshi Funasaka (舩坂弘), the president of Shibuya's Taiseidō Bookstore (大盛堂書店) and the donor of "Seki Magoroku", saw during questioning at Ushigome Police Station that both ends of the rivet of the sword hilt (目釘, mekugi) had been crushed to prevent the blade from being pulled out.

Sword appraisal expert Magoki Watanabe (渡部真吾樹) determined that the sword crest on Mishima's sword is not "Three Cedar Trees (三本杉, Sanbonsugi)", but "Mutual Confusion (互の目乱れ, Gunome-midare)," and that the base fabric of the sword is quite soft, different from the method used by "Seki Magoroku". In addition to Watanabe, other experts have asserted that the sword is not a genuine "Seki Magoroku", and there have also been investigations into the sword's place of origin and provenances, leading to a persistent theory that Mishima had been tricked and given a fake.

The belongings of Masayoshi Koga, Masahiro Ogawa, and Hiroyasu Koga included the Written Directive that Mishima had given each of them, 30,000 yen each in cash (for attorney's fees), one special baton each, a climbing knife, etc. The Written Directive (命令書, meirei sho) to Masayoshi Koga mainly contained the following words:

Your mission is to escort the hostages together with comrade Hiroyasu Koga, and after safely delivering them, be arrested as a criminal and make an honorable statement in court about the spirit of the Tatenokai.
This incident was planned, devised, and ordered by Mishima, the captain of the Tatenokai, and student leader Masakatsu Morita participated in it. Mishima's suicide with a sword (自刃, jijin) is only natural given my responsibilities as captain, but Masakatsu Morita's jijin is a brave and solemn act that he voluntarily represents all Tatenokai members and the current patriotically motivating young people of Japan, also sets an example and try to demonstrating the spirit of youth to which should be able to make the fierce god (鬼神, oni-gami) weep.
Regardless of Mishima, you should spread Morita's spirit to later generations.

— Yukio Mishima, Written Directive

The three suspects, Masayoshi Koga, Masahiro Ogawa, and Hiroyasu Koga, were sent to prosecutors on November 27 on suspicion of six offenses: Participation in Assisted Suicide; Consensual Homicide (嘱託殺人), Unlawful Capture and Confinement (不法監禁), Criminal Injury (傷害), Assault, Breaking into a Residence (建造物侵入), Possession of Firearms or Swords and Other Such Weapons. On December 17, they were indicted on five offenses: Participation in Assisted Suicide; Consensual Homicide, Criminal Injury, Unlawful Capture and Confinement Causing in Injury (監禁致傷), Assault, Obstructing or Compelling Performance of Public Duty (職務強要).