However, there is no angled tripod mainmast like that of the American Arleigh Burke-class destroyer because of the heavy weather of the Sea of Japan in winter.

[2] Destroyers built under the First Defense Build-up Plan, including the former Murasame class, adopted a unique long forecastle style called "Oranda-zaka".

[2] Inazuma was laid down on 8 May 1997 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at Nagasaki as part of the 1995 plan and launched on 9 September 1998.

On 13 September, she joined the submarine JS Kuroshio in the South China Sea and conducted anti-submarine warfare training.

[3] On 21 May 2019, she departed for the "Reiwa first year pelagic practice voyage" with the training ship JS Kashima.