[4] In 1923 at Tokyo Imperial University's graduate school, he commenced studies in infectious diseases, intestinal perforation and shigella, and became first class army surgeon seven months later.

[4] He received his doctoral degree in 1925 with a dissertation titled "Experimental research on seronegative intestine perforation and parathyroid fever", four years before being promoted to third-class army surgeon.

The following year he visited the United States and Europe for research, and in August 1935 held the position of chief second-class army surgeon (Nitō guni sei).

Like all involved[citation needed] with Unit 731 or Japanese biological warfare, he was repatriated to Japan in January 1946.

[citation needed] Kitano was one of the founders of the Japanese pharmaceutical company and first commercial blood bank Green Cross, which was renamed Welfide in 1998 and which became part of Mitsubishi Pharma in 2001.