Chitose was designed and built in San Francisco in the United States by the Union Iron Works.

The cruiser's specifications were very similar to that of Takasago, but with slightly larger displacement and overall dimensions, but with identical gun armament (and without the bow torpedo tubes).

Gladys Sullivan, niece of San Francisco mayor James D. Phelan, pressed the button that sent the ship down the slipway.

During the Russo-Japanese War, Chitose was active in the Battle of Port Arthur as flagship for Admiral Dewa Shigeto.

Following the Battle of Tsushima, Chitose was assigned to cover the landings of Japanese reinforcements in northern Korea.