[1] He and many of his fellow Japanese soldiers became mercenaries in the employ of the pro-Nationalist warlord of Shanxi, Yan Xishan, after the resumption of the Chinese Civil War.
Imamura fought against the Communist forces until his death in battle in the closing weeks of the civil war.
Imamura served at the rank of general in Yan Xishan's Nationalist army, and defended Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi.
Yan Xishan himself (along with most of the provincial treasury) was airlifted out of Taiyuan in March 1949 to ask Chiang Kai-shek for more supplies.
[3] Shortly after Yan was airlifted out of Taiyuan, Nationalist planes stopped dropping food and supplies for the defenders due to fears of being shot down by the advancing Communists.