Kenkichi Ueda

Biography

Kenkichi Ueda was born in Osaka Prefecture. He attended the predecessor of Hitotsubashi University and graduated from the 10th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1898, and the 21st class of the Army Staff College in 1908. Although his specialization was infantry, he was assigned to the 9th Cavalry Brigade under the IJA 18th Division, later transferred to the IJA 16th Division, and remained in cavalry for the remainder of his career. Serving as a staff officer in the Siberian Expeditionary Army from 1918 to 1919, Ueda was promoted to colonel in July 1919. He commanded the IJA 1st Cavalry Regiment in 1923, was promoted to major general in 1924, and became commanding officer of the IJA 3rd Cavalry Brigade. Promoted to lieutenant general in 1928, Ueda was commander-in-chief of the Japanese China Garrison Army from March 1929 to the end of December 1930. As commander of the IJA 9th Division from 1930 to 1932, his division was sent into combat during the First Shanghai incident; however, it failed to break the Chinese defenses and Ueda was withdrawn in disgrace and replaced by General Yoshinori Shirakawa's IJA 11th Division. He was subsequently involved in much of the fighting against Chinese forces during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria and was promoted to the honorific title of Junior Fourth Court Rank. On 29 April 1932, Korean independence activist Yoon Bong-Gil attacked Shanghai's Hongkou Park, killing Ueda's superior, General Yoshinori Shirakawa, and costing Ueda a leg. Despite his injury, Ueda remained on active service and returned to Japan for staff postings with the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, rising to Vice Chief from 1933 to 1934. In 1934, he became commander-in-chief of the Chosen Army in Korea. Promoted to full general on November 28, 1934, Ueda returned to Manchukuo as commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army from 1936 to 1939. As commander, he supported measures to suppress the illicit narcotics trade in Manchukuo and northern China. In 1939, he also held the post of ambassador of Japan to Manchukuo and was a member of the Supreme War Council. A strong believer in the 'Strike North' or Hokushin-ron policy, Ueda supported unauthorized aggressive actions on the Soviet border with Manchukuo and Mongolia, leading to the Soviet–Japanese border conflicts with heavy fighting and high casualties around Nomonhan between May and August 1939. Despite disastrous results, Ueda remained adamant in his support of the hokushin-ron policy and refused to discourage his officers from similar actions. He was recalled to Japan in late 1939 and forced into retirement. Retiring from public life, Ueda lived quietly through World War II. In the postwar era, he served as honorary chairman of various veterans associations and died in 1962.