Ka cika wannan jumlar: An haife shi a cikin tsohuwar iyalin "samurai" daga Kokura (yanzu wani ɓangare na Kitakyushu City), Fukuoka Prefecture, Sugiyama ya sauke karatu daga aji na 12 na Kwalejin Sojojin Jafananci a shekara ta 1901. Ya yi aiki a matsayin ƙaramin jami'i tare da 3rd Battalion na 14th Regiment na IJA 12th Division a cikin Yaƙin Rasha da Japan, kuma an ji masa rauni a fuska a lokacin yakin.
Yaƙin Shaho. Saboda raunuka daga wannan raunin, bai iya bude idonsa na dama ba.