After a number of years of operational experience with the Fubuki class, the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff issued requirements for four additional Special Type (特型, Tokugata) destroyers, with a maximum speed of 39 knots (72 km/h), range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h), and armed with Type 8 torpedoes.

The large amount of armament combined with a smaller hull displacement than in the original design created issues with stability.

After the Tomozuru Incident, in which the basic design of many Japanese warships was called into question, additional ballast had to be added.

An additional 40 tons of ballast was added, the bridge reduced in size and the height of the smoke stacks was decreased.

Akatsuki was lost at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942, where she was sunk by American cruiser and destroyer gunfire.

Ikazuchi was sunk while escorting a convoy 200 miles south-southeast of Guam on April 14, 1944 by the submarine USS Harder.