In addition to these eight ships Japan had also nine protected cruisers, all of the same type and all veterans of the war with Russia. They were of such strength and endurance that the Japanese admiralty rated them capable of taking places in the first line of battle. These were the _Nisshin_ and _Kasuga_, purchased from Italy and built in 1904, displacing 7,700 tons, and making a speed of 22 knots; the _Aso_, French built and captured from the Russians, and of the same design and measurements as the other two; and the protected cruisers _Yakumo_, _Asama_, _Idzumo_, _Tokiwa_, _Aguma_, and _Iwate_, built before the war with Russia, slightly heavier than their sister ships but not as fast. None of this type has been added to the Japanese navy since 1907. Japan has, instead, given attention to scouting cruisers, with the result that she possessed three excellent vessels of this class, the _Yahagi_, _Chikuma_, and _Hirato_, with the good speed of 26 knots and displacing 5,000 tons. They were built in 1912. And not so efficient were the other ships of similar design, the _Soya_, built in America, _Tone_ and _Tsugaru_.
The veteran Japanese navy was supplemented with 52 destroyers and 15 submarines, all built since the war with Russia, and a number of heavier vessels. Among the latter were the first-class battleships _Kashima_ and _Katori_, completed in 1906, and displacing 16,400 tons. Their heavy guns measured 12 inches, and they made a speed of 19.5 knots. There were also the vessels _Ikoma_ and _Tsukuba_, individual in type, with corresponding kinds in no other navy, and which might be called a cross between an armored cruiser and battle cruiser. Though displacing no more than 13,766 tons, they carried four 12-inch guns, and made the comparatively low speed of 20.5 knots. In 1909 and 1910 the Japanese added two more ships of this kind to their navy, the _Ibuki_ and _Kurama_, slightly heavier and faster and with the same armament.
The dreadnought _Satsuma_ also came in 1910--a vessel displacing 19,400 tons, but making a speed of only 18.2 knots, and with an extraordinarily heavy main battery consisting of four 12-inch guns and twelve 10-inch guns. The _Aki_, launched in 1911, was 400 tons heavier than the _Satsuma_, and was more than 2 knots faster, and her main battery was equally strong. The dreadnoughts _Settsu_ and _Kawachi_, completed in 1913 and 1912 respectively, displaced 21,420 tons, but were able to make not more than 20 knots. At this time the Japanese admiralty, perhaps on account of lessons learned in the war with Russia, was building dreadnoughts with less speed than those in the other navies, but with much heavier main batteries. These two vessels carried a unique main battery of twelve 12-inch guns, along with others of smaller measurement. What the dreadnoughts lacked in speed was made up in that of four battle cruisers launched after 1912. These were the _Kirishima_, _Kongo_, _Hi-Yei_, and _Haruna_, with the good speed of 28 knots. Their displacement was 27,500 tons, and they carried in their primary batteries eight 14-inch guns and sixteen 6-inch guns.