The 4th Division was formed in
Osaka City in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army. The Osaka Garrison had responsibility for the central region of
Honshū (
Kansai district), ranging from
Shiga Prefecture to
Hyōgo Prefecture. The six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888.
Early action The
4th regional command played a vital role in the defeat of the
Satsuma Rebellion in 1877. During the
First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, the
4th division landed on
Liaodong Peninsula and performed security duties as part of army reserve, though its 7th Mixed Brigade was sent to northern Formosa in September 1895 during the
Japanese invasion of Taiwan, and helped to pacify the Kapsulan (
Yilan) district. During the
Russo-Japanese War, the division, led by Lieutenant General
Ogawa Mataji, participated in the
Battle of Nanshan,
Battle of Liaoyang (where the commander was wounded and replaced by Lieutenant General
Tsukamoto Katsuyoshi),
Battle of Shaho and
Battle of Mukden. The division later served in the
Siberian Intervention and the
Jinan Incident (1928). ===Action in
Second Sino-Japanese War and
Pacific War=== On 10 February 1937, the 4th Division came under the command of the
Kwantung Army in
Manchuria. Actually departing
Osaka 6 September 1937, and landing in
Daegu 12 September 1937. It participated in
Central Hubei Operation,
Battle of South Henan, and
Jiangbei operation (attacking from northern
Anlu). It was transferred to the
11th Army on 1 July 1940. In September 1941, the division participated in
Battle of Changsha (1941). From 11 June 1941, it started reorganization to a
triangular division, giving the 70th infantry regiment to the
25th division, eventually transferred to the active reserve force in the Japanese home islands. In March 1942, the reorganization was complete and the 4th Division was then reassigned to the
14th Army, arriving in the
Philippines to participate in the
Battle of Bataan on 3 April 1942. The 4th Division also significantly contributed to Japanese efforts in the
Battle of Corregidor on 5 May 1942. After the
Philippines campaign (1941–1942) ended on 8 May 1942, the division was returned to the home islands to perform security duties. It came under the control of the
25th Army in September 1943. The 4th Division departed from
Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū on 10 October 1943 and performed garrison duties on
Padang,
Sumatra from early November 1943 to counter potential attacks from the west and to serve as a reserve force for
northern Sumatra. Whilst garrisoned in padang, they were also tasked on training local militias under the
occupation of West Sumatra known as the Giyuugun (義勇軍,
Giyūgun). Parts of the 4th Division were on Chicago Maru transport when it was sunk 15 October 1943, and therefore were temporarily diverted to
Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Assigned to the
15th Army on 14 January 1945, its final headquarters was in
Lampang,
Thailand. The 4th Division started disbanding in June 1946. The soldiers were repatriated from
Bangkok back to the Japanese ports of
Uraga and
Kagoshima. The last sub-unit, a field hospital, departed
Bangkok 4 June 1946 and arrived at
Kagoshima 25 June 1946. By 27 June 1946 the dissolution of the 4th Division was complete.
Memorial headquarters building The original headquarters for the 4th Division was
Osaka Castle. When the castle was reconstructed in 1931, a new headquarters building was erected within the castle grounds a short distance away by donations raised from the citizens of Osaka, so that the castle and its immediate surroundings could be made into a public park. In 1940, the headquarters moved again, this time to
Hōkoku Shrine (Osaka) area. The divisional arsenal in Osaka detonated 14 August 1945 due to Allied bombing, resulting in light damage to the headquarters buildings. As of 2013, the headquarters building remained as a war memorial within the
Osaka Castle Park. Noted commanders in the history of the 4th Division have included
Takashima Tomonosuke,
Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa,
Ichinohe Hyoe,
Abe Nobuyuki,
Terauchi Hisaichi,
Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko and
Tomoyuki Yamashita. == See also ==