From 1933-1935, he was commander of the IJA 41st Infantry Regiment, and from 1935-1937 served as Chief of staff of the IJA 3rd Division. He was sent to Germany as part of a military delegation in 1937.[2]
As a major general and the commander of the Japanese-occupied Chinese Harbin Special Branch in 1937-1938,[3] he, with the help of Yosuke Matsuoka, allowed 20,000 Jewish refugees who had fled Nazi Germany to cross the border from Otpor, USSR to Manzhouli (a city in the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo),[4] in an event which later became known as the Otpor Incident. Higuchi's subordinates were responsible for feeding the refugees, settling them in Harbin or Shanghai, and arranging for exit visas.
His name is listed in the Golden Book, which was used to record names of individuals who helped Jewish people.[5] Higuchi was helped by Polish Jews when he faced discrimination during his travels to Poland.[4]
Glantz, David (2003). The Soviet Strategic Offensive in Manchuria, 1945: 'August Storm'. Routledge. ISBN0-7146-5279-2.
Tokayer, Rabbi Marvin (2004). The Fugu Plan: The Untold Story Of The Japanese And The Jews During World War II. Gefen Publishing House. ISBN965-229-329-6.
Yamamuro, Shinichi (2005). Manchuria Under Japanese Domination. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN0-8122-3912-1.