The six regional commands were transformed into divisions under the army reorganization of 14 May 1888, based on recommendations by the Prussian military advisor Jakob Meckel to the Japanese government.

The division participated in a Kanchazu Island incident, successfully driving off Soviet invaders by 30 June 1937.

During the 1944, the division was reassigned to the Philippines to participate in the Pacific War, and initially based in Manila where it formed the core of General Tomoyuki Yamashita's 14th Area Army.

Their orders were to move up Leyte Highway Number 2 to Carigara and to secure the northern half of the island.

By the time Battle of Leyte was won by American and Filipino forces, of the 11,000 Japanese soldiers, only 800 were evacuated to Cebu in January 1945.