 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Muna August 1940, akasimudzirwa kuva lieutenant general uye akapiwa murairo weIJA 21st Division. Sechikamu cheJapan 12th Army, iro divi rakabatanidzwa mukurwisa kupandukira kuchamhembe kweChina pamwe neHondo yeSouth Shanxi muna Chivabvu 1941, uye yakatevera Mazana Mazana Regiments Offensive. Kubva munaNovember 1941, divi racho rakaendeswa kudzora kweSouthern Expeditionary Army Group ndokuendeswa kuPhilippines, kunomhara paLingayen Gulf muna Kukadzi 1942 yePhilippines Campaign.. Tanaka akaendeswa kunotungamira IJA Twenty-Third Army muChina kubva munaKurume 1943. Iri raiva boka ravarwi rokudzivisa mauto eAllied kuti asaburuka kumaodzanyemba kweChina. Yakabatanidzwa muHondo yeGuilin-Liuzhou chikamu cheOperation Ichi-Go kubva muna Nyamavhuvhu kusvika munaNovember 1944 uye yakakumikidzwa kumauto eChinese Kuomintang musi waAugust 15, 1945 nekunzwa kweJapan. 