In August 1920, Tachibana was promoted to general and from January 1921 to November 1922 was appointed the final commander-in-chief of the Japanese expeditionary force in the Japanese intervention in Siberia. This promotion was over the objections of Army Chief-of-Staff General Uehara Yusaku, who had wanted Tachibana to take over the more prestigious role of Inspector General of Military Training. At a press conference in Vladivostok, Tachibana stated that he hoped that the Far Eastern Republic would soon establish a stable, democratic and independent government in the region, as Japan had no interest in remaining to interfere in Russian politics.