The vessel was constructed by Sumitomo Heavy Industries of Tokyo, Japan and was launched on 21 June 1994.

Asuka was commissioned on 22 March 1995 and since then has conducted performance confirmation tests for integrated navigation systems.

The bridge structure consisted of four layers, at the top of which was a radar equipment room with four active phased array (AESA) antennas for the Fire Control System Type 3 (FCS-3) prototype.

After the test, parts of the FCS-3 prototype were diverted to two Hyūga-class helicopter destroyers, and all, including the AESA antenna, have been removed and the radar equipment room is covered.

In 2019, a part of the rear deck will be bulked up to test the VDS + TASS equipped on the 3,900-ton type escort ship.

[3] According to the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), a "new ship-to-air guided missile" (A-SAM) launch test took place in December 2022.