Background
Okada was born in an ex-samurai family.
Okada was born in an ex-samurai family.
Okada served as a midshipman on the ironclad warship Kongo and the cruiser Naniwa. He was commissioned an ensign on 9 July 1890 and later served as lieutenant on the Itsukushima and Takachiho as well as the corvette Hiei. Then Okada served as Chief of the Naval Personnel Bureau, Navy Vice-Minister Commander-in-Chief of the Combined FIeet and Commander of the Yokosuka Naval Base. When the Prime Minister's official residence was raided by young army officers in the February 26 Incident in 1936 he narrowly escaped assassination but resigned because of the incident.