The 5th Division last saw action in this war during the Battle of Yingkou on 4 March 1895, resulting in the peace negotiations and the treaty of Shimonoseki, signed on 17 April 1895.

On 27 January 1900, the 5th Division participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance (of which the Japanese were the only non-Europeans) against the Boxer Rebellion, with a divisional detachment becoming the core of the Gaselee Expedition.

19 September 1938, the 5th Division was subordinated to the 21st Army and sent to South China, participating in the Guangdong province offensive capturing Nanning in November 1938.

As part of the newly formed army, the 5th Division became the core of the forces allotted for the Japanese invasion of French Indochina on 22 September 1940.

However, the Japanese combatants managed to penetrate the British defense perimeter, and the Australian troops retrograded after midnight allowing the 5th Division, to move on to Ama Keng village and established a beachhead, where they fired a red starshell over the straits to indicate their success to General Yamashita.

Immediately after this important victory, the 5th Division moved inwards into Singapore to capture more strategic areas such as Tengah Airfield on 9 February 1942.

The Kawamura Detachment then proceeded to land on the north coast of Mindanao on 3 May 1942, forcing the surrender of the Americans and Filipinos on 10 May 1942, after heavy fighting.

It was transferred, landing in Davao City on 28 June 1942, and used to reinforce Nankai Shitai (South Seas Detachment) under command of Major-General Tomitaro Horii.

[6] After the Battle of Brigade Hill was fought further inland, the Yazawa detachment made its way to the mouth of the Girua River (near Buna), where it secured a landing of the supplies and reinforcements, starting from 23 September 1942.

[7] On 29 October 1942, the bulk of the Yazawa detachment took up defensive positions inland near Oivi Creek, to cover the retreat of 144th regiment and other units.

About 900 combatants left of Yazawa detachment narrowly escaped the encirclement and run away to the heavily wooded Ajura Kijala Range to the north-east on 10 November 1942.

The Yazawa escapees reached the mouth of the Kumusi River, north of Gona, by 28 November 1942, but the detachment was not combat-ready because of the loss of most of its heavy equipment and the high incidence of malaria amongst its troops.

The majority of the malaria-weakened combatants were transported by landing craft to the mouth of Girua River on 29 November 1942, losing hundreds to the Allied air attacks in sea.

[8] On 31 December 1942, Colonel Yazawa ordered a desperate rescue mission to the Buna with the composite unit gathered from the jumble of shattered Japanese detachments.

The division was involved with Tachibana Maru incident, comprising hospital ship been used to transport armaments (up to howitzers) and healthy combatants.