Asahi Graph Mishima Yukio Seppuku December 11, 1970 Issue This is a special issue of Asahi Graph featuring Yukio Mishima's attempted coup and seppuku incident. Although it is a magazine from over 50 years ago, it is in relatively good condition. - Title: Asahi Graph 12:11 - Feature: Yukio Mishima - Headline: Yukio Mishima Commits Seppuku - Publication Year: 1970 (Showa 45) Yukio Mishima (January 14, 1925 - November 25, 1970) was a Japanese novelist, playwright, essayist, critic, and political activist. His real name was Kimitake Hiraoka. He was not only one of the leading writers of post-war Japanese literature but also a globally recognized author beyond the confines of the Japanese language, having been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. His representative works include novels such as "Confessions of a Mask," "The Sound of Waves," "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion," "Kyoko's House," "Patriotism," and "The Sea of Fertility," as well as plays like "The Modern Noh Plays," "The Last Chrysanthemum," and "The Marquis de Sade." In his later years, he increasingly leaned towards political and nationalist tendencies. He joined the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force for a period and founded the militia organization "Tate no Kai" (Shield Society). On November 25, 1970, he visited the JGSDF Ichigaya Base (now the Ministry of Defense Headquarters) with four members of Tate no Kai, held the Eastern Army General hostage, and delivered a speech from the balcony urging the Self-Defense Forces to stage a coup. He then committed seppuku. This incident sent shockwaves through society, giving rise to new right-wing groups derived from nationalist factions, and had a significant impact on domestic political movements and the literary world. It was said that an era ended with Mishima's death. The Mishima Incident refers to the event on November 25, 1970, when the writer Yukio Mishima (real name: Kimitake Hiraoka) committed seppuku after calling for a coup d'état by the Self-Defense Forces to revise the constitution (abolish Article 9). The incident is also known as the Tate no Kai Incident, named after the organization Mishima led, whose members participated in the event. After finishing his speech, Mishima, along with Morita, faced the Imperial Palace and shouted "Long live His Majesty the Emperor!" three times. Even then, heckles such as "Pull him down!" and "Shoot him!" made his words almost inaudible. Standing before General Masuda, he said, "I have no grudge against you, General. This is to return the Self-Defense Forces to the Emperor. There was no other way." He then unbuttoned his uniform. Shintaro Ishihara Akihiro Miwa Yasunari Kawabata