The 4th Tank Division was raised on July 6, 1944 in Chiba, near Tokyo.

Assigned to the IJA 36th Army Corps, it was designated for the defense of the Japanese home islands against the projected Allied invasion.

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.

[3] 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.

The 4th Tank Division, after being relocated to Japan in 1945, consisted of a division headquarters, three tank regiments (roughly battalion-sized), one machine gun cannon battalion (anti-aircraft), one motor transport battalion, and one signal company.