Major Kenji Hatanaka (畑中 健二, Hatanaka Kenji) (28 March 1912 – 15 August 1945) was a Japanese military officer and one of the chief conspirators in the Kyūjō incident, a plot to seize the Imperial Palace and to prevent the broadcast of Emperor Hirohito's surrender speech to mark the end of World War II.

As one of the leaders of a group of Japanese officers determined to prevent the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and therefore the surrender of Japan, Hatanaka attempted a coup d'état on 14–15 August 1945.

[3] Hatanaka and his men then spent several hours searching for the recording that had been made of the Emperor's speech announcing the surrender of Japan, and which was meant for public broadcast.

However, still without high level support and the recordings, Hatanaka abandoned his coup after receiving direct orders to do so from Eastern District Army Headquarters.

In Hatanaka's pocket was found his death poem:[5] 今はただ 思ひ殘すこと なかりけり 暗雲去りし 御世となりなば ima wa tada omoinokosu koto nakarikeri an'un sarishi mi-yo to narinaba I have nothing to regret now that the dark clouds have disappeared from the reign of the Emperor.