Memorial Held in Tokyo over Feb. 26 Incident 90 Years Ago

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)--A memorial was held in Tokyo on Thursday for those who died in the so-called Feb. 26 incident, in which young military officers killed senior government officials in a failed coup attempt 90 years ago.

In front of the statue built on the site where such officers of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army and others were executed, participants in the ceremony prayed for those murdered in the incident and the officers.

Among the participants was Akitoshi Imaizumi, 76, a member of Busshinkai, an association of bereaved family members of officers involved in the incident.

His father, Yoshimichi, who died in 1995 at age 80, was then a second lieutenant. Around 3 a.m. Feb. 26, 1936, his superior suddenly told him of a plan to kill senior government officials, and Yoshimichi joined the rebellion. He was later sentenced to four years in prison.

In a chilly wind in Shibuya Ward around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Imaizumi and others lit incense sticks, laid flowers and put their hands together in prayer in front of the statue.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]