Japan's Longest Day

The film reconstructs the tense final 24 hours before Emperor Hirohito's radio broadcast announcing Japan's surrender, including a failed coup attempt by military officers seeking to seize the recording and continue the war. Cabinet ministers and military leaders clash over accepting unconditional surrender after the atomic bombings. The tension escalates to the brink of a violent palace uprising.

On August 14-15, 1945, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet declaration of war, Japan's government agreed to unconditional surrender, and Emperor Hirohito recorded a radio address announcing the decision. A group of army officers attempted a coup to seize and destroy the recording and continue the war, but it was suppressed hours before the broadcast aired.

Based on Kazutoshi Hando's meticulously researched nonfiction account, the film is considered a historically detailed and faithful reconstruction of the surrender crisis.

With the British Expeditionary Force and French units cut off against the Channel, the Royal Navy and hundreds of civilian craft lifted the trapped armies off the beaches and mole at Dunkirk.

A German halt order and stubborn rearguard actions at Calais and along the Lys bought time. Over nine days roughly 338,000 British and Allied troops were evacuated, though nearly all heavy equipment was abandoned.

Directed by Kihachi Okamoto

Cast: Toshiro Mifune, So Yamamura, Kenjiro Ishiyama

Positioned at August 14-15, 1945 within the End of war phase of the war, as part of the Japanese surrender. This is entry 148 of 150 in the chronological archive.

• Japanese surrender
• Hirohito
• attempted coup
• end of war
• 1945

• 

  The Emperor in August

  August 9-15, 1945

• 

  The Battle of Okinawa

  April-June 1945

• 

  Grave of the Fireflies

  March-September 1945

• 

  Barefoot Gen

  August 1945

• 

  The Great Raid

  January 28-30, 1945

• 

  Flags of Our Fathers

  February-March 1945