Former IJA 10th Division Headquarters Site, Himeji Castle

The former headquarters site of the Imperial Japanese Army 10th Division (第十師団司令部跡, Dai-jū Shidan Shireibu Ato) occupies the eastern grounds of Himeji Castle (姫路城) in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. Known by the code name "Iron Division" (鉄兵団, Tetsu-heidan), the 10th Division was one of the most widely deployed formations in the IJA, fighting across Manchuria, China, and the Philippines over nearly half a century before its virtual annihilation on Luzon in 1945.

Formation and Headquarters (1898)

The 10th Division was one of six new infantry divisions raised by the Imperial Japanese Army on 1 October 1898, in the aftermath of the First Sino-Japanese War. Its recruitment area encompassed three full prefectures — Hyogo, Okayama, and Tottori — plus portions of Shimane Prefecture. The division headquarters was established within the eastern grounds of Himeji Castle, which had been gradually converted to military use since the Meiji Restoration.

The first divisional commander was Lieutenant General Prince Fushimi Sadanaru (伏見宮貞愛親王), a member of the Imperial family. The garrison expanded rapidly: by the early 20th century, over 100 military buildings had been erected across the castle grounds and surrounding areas. The 39th Infantry Regiment (歩兵第三十九聯隊) was garrisoned in the castle's southwestern sector, while the division headquarters, garrison hospital (衛戍病院), and associated administrative buildings occupied the eastern portion. The 10th Division's presence transformed Himeji into one of the Kansai region's principal garrison cities (軍都).

The Red-Brick Weapons Warehouse (1905–1913)

In 1905 (Meiji 38), a red-brick western warehouse was constructed for the Himeji Army Weapons Depot (姫路陸軍兵器支廠, later redesignated the 10th Division Weapons Section). Designed by Army Ministry engineers Miyamoto Heiji (宮本平治) and Ida Kumakichi (井田熊吉), the building exemplifies Meiji-era military industrial architecture with its sturdy red-brick construction. A clothing warehouse was added in 1913 (Taisho 2). These are the only surviving original military structures from the 10th Division garrison — now repurposed as the Himeji City Museum of Art (姫路市立美術館), designated a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003.

Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)

Under Lieutenant General Kawamura Kageaki, the 10th Division was assigned to the 4th Army and deployed to Manchuria. It saw intense combat at the Battle of Hsimucheng, the Battle of Liaoyang, the Battle of Shaho, and the Battle of Mukden. The division's performance in these engagements established its reputation as a reliable combat formation.

Manchurian Incident and Interwar Period (1931–1937)

After the Mukden Incident of September 1931, the 10th Division formed the 8th Mixed Brigade, which was sent to Manchuria in December 1931 and conducted mopping-up operations in Jilin Province. It returned to Japan in March 1934 and was reorganized during the interwar period.

Second Sino-Japanese War and the Battle of Taierzhuang (1937–1939)

From July 1937, with the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the 10th Division returned to China under Lieutenant General Isogai Rensuke (磯谷廉介). The division participated in the Beiping-Hankou Railway Operation, the Tianjin-Pukou Railway Operation, and the broader Battle of Xuzhou.

The 10th Division's most historically significant engagement came at the Battle of Taierzhuang (台児荘の戦い) in March–April 1938. Taierzhuang, a walled town on the Grand Canal in southern Shandong Province, became the site of a ferocious battle that ended as the first major Chinese victory of the war. The 10th Division's Seya Detachment (瀬谷支隊) advanced into the town but encountered fierce resistance from Chinese forces under General Li Zongren's 5th War Area command. Trapped in brutal urban warfare and short of ammunition, the Seya Detachment — together with the 5th Division's Sakamoto Detachment sent to relieve it — withdrew on April 6–7. Casualty figures vary widely by source: one Japanese figure for the Seya Detachment is 411 killed and 1,319 wounded, other compilations give 2,369 killed and 9,615 wounded for the Japanese forces engaged, and Chinese accounts claim considerably heavier losses. Japanese accounts describe the outcome as a withdrawal of detached forces, while in China the battle is celebrated as having shattered the myth of Japanese invincibility and electrified resistance morale. It remains one of the most celebrated battles in Chinese military history.

Following Taierzhuang, the 10th Division participated in the northern pincer of the Battle of Wuhan. It was withdrawn to Japan in October 1939 and reorganized from a square to a triangular division.

Pacific War: Destruction on Luzon (1944–1945)

In 1944, as the Pacific War situation grew desperate, the 10th Division was transferred to the Japanese 14th Area Army (第十四方面軍) under General Yamashita Tomoyuki in the Philippines. Assigned to the defense of Luzon, the division was caught in the massive American invasion that began in January 1945. In the ensuing Battle of Luzon, the 10th Division was virtually annihilated in the mountains of northern Luzon, suffering catastrophic casualties in a series of desperate defensive engagements against overwhelming American firepower and air superiority.

The 110th Division: Shadow Formation

On 16 June 1938, the 110th Division was formed in Himeji as a B-class reserve division, using the 10th Division's headquarters as its organizational nucleus. This formation served primarily in China for garrison and security operations while the 10th Division continued its frontline combat assignments.

Destruction of the Himeji Garrison (1945)

The military facilities at Himeji Castle suffered catastrophic damage during the American firebombing raids of 1945. On June 22, 1945, B-29 bombers targeted the nearby Kawanishi Aircraft factory, and on the night of July 3–4, 1945, a massive incendiary raid devastated over 63% of Himeji's urban area. Nearly all of the 100-plus military buildings — barracks, headquarters structures, storehouses, and administrative offices — were destroyed in the fires. The castle's main keep survived by miraculous coincidence (an M47 incendiary bomb that pierced the top floor failed to detonate), but the military garrison was obliterated.

Present Day

After Japan's surrender in August 1945, the military grounds were demilitarized. Today, only two original buildings from the 10th Division era survive:

1. Himeji City Museum of Art (姫路市立美術館) — The former red-brick weapons warehouse (1905/1913), converted to Himeji City Hall after the war (1947–1980), then renovated as an art museum opening in April 1983. Designated a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (登録有形文化財) in 2003.

2. Former Division Commander's Residence — Now serving as the headquarters of the Junshin-kai (淳心会本部), a Catholic religious organization.

The castle grounds have been restored as Himeji Castle Park. While the feudal-era castle architecture draws millions of visitors as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the eastern grounds where the 10th Division headquarters once stood bear little visible trace of their military past — a silent testament to the near-total destruction wrought by the 1945 air raids and postwar redevelopment.