During the Second World War, Ueda was an anti-aircraft gunner assigned to several merchant ships.
On 13 November 1944, while assigned to Kinka Maru, he was severely injured during a U.S. air raid on Manila Bay.
[1][2] His painting of the Ōryoku Maru (sunk 15 December 1944) is part of the Hell Ship Memorial Project's display at the Subic Bay Historical Center, Philippines.
Ueda started working with the model company Tamiya Corporation in the early 1960s.
Ueda illustrated most of the package artwork for Tamiya's Waterline Series (which consists of about 150 models).