The 4th Tank Division was raised on July 6, 1944 in Chiba, near Tokyo. It lacked both infantry and
self-propelled gun regiments. Similar to the
German Panzer-Lehr-Division, it was created out of the training departments of the Armor School, Cavalry School, Field Artillery School and Military Engineering School of the
Imperial Japanese Army Academy, its remaining students and staff. Assigned to the
IJA 36th Army Corps, it was designated for the defense of the
Japanese home islands against the projected
Allied invasion. The 4th Tank Division was based in Fukuoka on Kyushu. It was equipped with the finest and most advanced armaments, including a "significant" number of
Type 3 Chi-Nu medium tanks and
Type 3 Ho-Ni III tank destroyers; these being available at its depot before the end of the war. Following Japan's surrender on Sept 3, 1945, the 4th Tank Division was officially
demobilized with the rest of the Imperial Japanese Army, without having seen combat. ==Commanding officer==