Russo-Japanese War

These twenty-three 'turtle-back' destroyers, all authorised under the Ten Year Naval Expansion Programme of 1898, comprised six Ikazuchi class built by Yarrow^[4] and six Murakumo class built by Thornycroft^[5] in the UK, each carrying 1–12pdr (aft) and 5–6pdr guns and 2–18in torpedo tubes, and followed by two larger ships from each of the same builders (the Shirakumo class from Thornycroft and the Akatsuki class from Yarrow), in which a second 12pdr replaced the foremost 6pdr, and finally by seven Harusame class built in Japan. All were later rated as 3rd Class destroyers (under 600 tons each). The Programme also included sixteen First Class torpedo boats, included below (47 smaller 2nd and 3rd Class boats from this Programme are not included)

World War I

Before and during World War I, Japan established three grades of destroyers - the large (over 1,000 tons) 1st Class or ocean-going type, the medium (600 to 1,000 tons) 2nd Class type and the small (below 600 tons) 3rd Class type. Between 1904 and 1918, Japan built thirty-two 3rd Class destroyers (the Kamikaze class), twenty-two 2nd Class destroyers (the Sakura, Kaba, Momo and Enoki classes) and eight 1st Class destroyers (the Umikaze, Isokaze and Kawakaze classes). They also purchased two further 1st Class destroyers (the Urakaze class) built in the UK by Yarrow.

The Inter-War Period

From 1919 onwards, a series of destroyers were built regularly in Japan. No further 3rd Class ships were built after 1909, and only two further classes of 2nd Class ships (the Momi and Wakatake classes) were built by 1923, after which all were 1st Class. The ships of the Wakatake, Kamikaze and Mutsuki classes were initially given numbers rather than names, but names were assigned on 1 August 1928. The numbering system continued after 1928, but were not assigned to ships, which were all named.

The Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II

Standard Destroyer

Gleaves class/Asakaze class (DD) — 2 ships transferred 1954 from USA

Fletcher class/Ariake class (DD) — 2 ships transferred 1959 from USA

Harukaze class (DD) — 2 ships

Ayanami class (DDK) — 7 ships

Murasame class (1958) (DDA) — 3 ships

Akizuki class (1959) (DD) — 2 ships

Yamagumo class (DDK) — 6 ships

Takatsuki class (DDA) — 4 ships

Minegumo class (DDK) — 3 ships

Hatsuyuki class (DD) — 12 ships

Asagiri class (DD) — 8 ships

Murasame class (1994) (DD) — 9 ships

(orders for 5 more were replaced by those for the succeeding Takanami class)

Takanami class (DD) — 5 ships

Akizuki class (DD) — 4 ships

Asahi class (DD) — 2 ships

Guided Missile Destroyer

JDS Amatsukaze (DDG) — 1 ship

Tachikaze class (DDG) — 3 ships

Hatakaze class (DDG) — 2 ships

Kongō class (DDG) — 4 ships

Atago class (DDG) — 2 ships

Maya class (DDG) — 2 ships

Helicopter Destroyer

Haruna class (DDH) — 2 ships

Shirane class (DDH) — 2 ships

Hyūga class (DDH) — 2 ships

Izumo class (DDH) — 2 ships

(Re-designated as multi-purpose operation destroyer)^[10]

Small Escort

Tachibana class — 1 ship

Cannon class (DE) — 2 ships transferred 1955 from USA

JDS Akebono (DE) - 1 ship

Ikazuchi class (DE) — 2 ships

Isuzu class (DE)— 4 ships

Chikugo class (DE)— 11 ships

JS Ishikari (DE) - 1 ship

Yubari class (DE)— 2 ships

Abukuma class (DE)— 6 ships

Mogami class (FFM)— 6 ships

(4 ships completed, 4 ships are under construction, 2 more ordered and with plan to construct a total of 22 ships)