She had a teardrop hull, and was powered by two Kawasaki-MAN V8V24/30AMTL diesel engines, which produced 3,400 brake horsepower (2,500 kW), a Fuji electric motor, which produced 7,200 shaft horsepower (5,400 kW), and was propelled by one shaft, with a five-bladed propeller.

She was armed with six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, and had a complement of 75: 10 officers and 65 enlisted men.

[1] Akishio was laid down in Kobe by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on 15 April 1983, launched on 22 January 1985, and commissioned on 5 March 1986.

[1] After being decommissioned, Akishio was moved from the water, and placed on display outside the Kure Maritime Museum on 5 April 2007.

One of Japan's national newspapers, Asahi Shimbun, said that the museum focused too much upon military ships and weapons.