aboutThe February 26 Incident and Itouya

The February 26 Incident, which occurred on February 26, Showa 11 (1936), involved young officers of the Imperial Japanese Army rising up. The incident was a power struggle within the army between the radical Imperial Way Faction and the moderate Control Faction. About 1,500 troops led by the Imperial Way Faction attacked the Prime Minister's residence and other locations, aiming to overthrow the government and reform the nation.

During this time, Count Nobuaki Makino, a former Minister of the Interior, was staying at Itouya. It became the only location outside of Tokyo to be the scene of the incident. The guests included Count Makino and his wife, each with their respective maids, a nurse, and a police constable for security, totaling seven people. The accommodation conditions required an independent building, and Itouya's annex, "Kofuso," was chosen.

Count Makino planned to stay for 10 days and encountered the incident on the third day. The person in charge of the attack, Army Air Captain Hisashi Kono, had stayed at the main building of Itouya for reconnaissance with a civilian couple, Mr. and Mrs. Shibukawa. After confirming Count Makino's movements, Captain Kono returned to Tokyo.

Later, with his troops, he entered Yugawara by car, attacked Kofuso at dawn, and burned it down. During the attack, Count Makino, with the quick thinking of his maid, escaped by wearing women's clothing, sneaking out through a private entrance, and climbing over a fence to the back mountain. It is said that he survived thanks to Captain Kono's order not to harm women and children. Kofuso was completely destroyed in the attack, and the existing building was constructed later. The guest room in the main building, where Captain Kono and others stayed for reconnaissance before the attack, is still used today, preserving the atmosphere of that time as much as possible.