 Ramba uchiverenga ndima iyi - Munguva yeHondo yeChipiri yeChina neJapan, Kijima akanga ari mukuru weZviitiko Zvakananga zveIJA 123rd Infantry Regiment kubva muna May 1938. Muna July wegore iroro, akasimudzirwa kuva mukuru mukuru. Kijima akanga achishanda muHondo yeWuhanuye Hondo yeNanchang. Zvisinei, muna Kubvumbi 1940, akaburitswa uye akabatanidzwa kune yekuchengetedza IJA 6th Depot Division yakavakirwa muKumamoto. Muna August 1940, Kijima akayeuchidzwa kuti ave mumamiriro ezvinhu, uye akadzorerwa semukuru mukuru we 123rd Regiment. Kijima akasimudzirwa kuva mukuru mukuru muna March 1943 uye akapiwa mutungamiri weIJA 17th Infantry Brigade. Muna Chivabvu 1943, IJA 17th Infantry Brigade yakauya pasi pekutungamira kweJapan Eighth Area Army muJapan-yakapambwa Solomon Islands neNew Guinea. Yaiva nomuzinda wayo mukuru paRabaul, New Britain. Pakutanga Kijima ndiye aitarisira kudzivirirwa kwokumadokero kweNew Britain. Muna Chikunguru 1944, Kijima akapihwa basa reIJA 38th Independent Mixed Brigade yeIJA 17th Army paBougainville Island pakagadzwa. Boka iri rakarwa muhondo yePearl Ridge panguva yeBougainville Campaign kurwisa mauto eAustralia, asi rakakundwa musi wa1 Ndira 1945 mushure memazuva matatu. Kudzokera kwebhurugwa kumaodzanyemba kwakananga kuBuin kwakarambwa, uye yakazove yakasarudzika paNuma Numa kusvika pakuguma kwehondo. 