In March 1904, soon after the start of the Russo-Japanese War, Ueda was appointed commander of the IJA 5th Infantry Division and deployed to Manchuria, where he led the division at the Battle of Liaoyang and the Battle of Shaho. However, because of the high losses that his division suffered during storming of Putilov Hill during that battle, he was relieved of his command in November 1904 and reassigned to command the Japanese garrison in Taiwan. However, despite this apparent demotion, he was awarded the Order of the Golden Kite, 2nd class, in 1906, and was transferred to Hokkaido to command the IJA 7th Infantry Division. In September 1907,