 Nyorera kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Muna Zvita 1937, Kofukuda akasimudzirwa kuita Lieutenant akazara uye akapihwa mutakuri Ryūjō semutungamiri wechikwata chake chemurwi Buntaichō. Muna June 1938, akatumirwa ku12th Air Group muCentral China, iyo yaishanda kubva kuNanjing panguva iyoyo, asi yakazoendeswa zvishoma nezvishoma kuAnqing, Jiujiang uye pakupedzisira kuHankou nekufambira mberi kweJapankumusoro kwerwizi rwaYangtze. Akadzokera kuJapan muna December 1938 uye akapiwa basa kuŌita Air Group. Muna November 1939, Lieutenant Kofukuda akaendeswa ku14th Air Group, iyo yakaendeswa kuHanoi, Indochina muna Autumn 1940. Musi wa7 Gumiguru, akatungamira matanhatu matsva eMitsubishi A6M Zero varwi kuti vaperekedze kurwisa kwe27 Mitsubishi G3M bhomba kurwisa Kunming. Muhondo yemhepo yakatevera nevarwi vokuChina, vakati ndege 13 dzomuvengi dzakaparadzwa. 