Yonai's protected status and personal network

During a period of coup tension, attackers entered Tokyo's Willow World intending to target naval officers gathered by Yonai. This geisha district had its own informal protections, with Yakuza-linked organizations holding influence and attacks on guests likely to provoke retaliation outside ordinary judicial channels. The attackers turned away after seeing a single uniformed imperial chauffeur outside, even though Yonai himself later traveled home alone by public transport. They appear to have feared the network represented by the driver more than Yonai's personal security detail. The episode explains why Yonai's influence was more than a formal résumé: it rested on visible connections that potential enemies had reason to fear.