Keinan Maru was laid down on 25 January 1928 at the shipyard of Kobeseikosho Harima Zosen Kojo at the behest of shipping company, Nippon Suisan.

[1] On 12 September 1941, she was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and converted to an auxiliary minesweeper under Reserve Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Okazaki Hiroshi (岡崎寛).

Hiroshi served as captain until he was replaced by Reserve Lieutenant Sekiguchi Yoshitaka (關口吉孝) on May 25 1944.

[1] On 4 September 1944, Sekiguchi was replaced by Reserve Lieutenant Ouchi Masayuki (大内正之).

[1] This article about a specific military ship or boat of Japan is a stub.