Like the other imperial princes of his generation, Prince Kaya was a career military officer. In 1920, after serving a term in the
House of Peers, he graduated from the 32nd class of the
Imperial Japanese Army Academy and received a commission as a
lieutenant (2nd class) in the
cavalry. In August 1925, he became commander of the Tenth Cavalry Regiment (at the rank of captain) and graduated from the 38th class of
Army Staff College. The following year, he rose to the rank of
major in the cavalry, and was appointed an instructor at the Army Staff College the following year. He joined the
Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in 1933 and was promoted to
colonel two years later. Prince and Princess Kaya undertook a seven-month world tour in 1934, visiting the
United States,
Great Britain,
France, and
Germany. The tour received extensive press coverage at the time. After his return to Japan, he replaced his uncle,
Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, as the emperor's personal envoy to
Nanking, the occupied capital of
Nationalist China, following the
Nanjing Massacre in January 1938. He was promoted to
major general in 1940 and
lieutenant general in 1943 in command of the
IJA 43rd Division. Prince Kaya became commander of the
Third Imperial Guard Division in 1944 and briefly served as president of the Army Staff College during the closing stages of
World War II. ==Commoner life==