Hashidate (橋立, Standing Bridge) was the third (and final vessel) in the Matsushima class of protected cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Forming the backbone of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the First Sino-Japanese War, the Matsushima-class cruisers were based on the principles of Jeune Ecole, as promoted by French military advisor and naval architect Louis-Émile Bertin.

[1] The Japanese government did not have the resources or budget to build a battleship navy to counter the various foreign powers active in Asia; instead, Japan adopted the radical theory of using smaller, faster warships, with light armor and small caliber long-range guns, coupled with a massive single 320 mm (12.6 in) Canet gun.

There were originally plans to build a fourth vessel in this class, and its cancellation due concerns over the design was one of the factors that led to Bertin's resignation and return to France.

The main battery consisted of one breech-loading 320-mm Canet gun mounted in the bow of the ship, which could fire 450-kg armor-piercing or 350-kg explosive shells at an effective range of 8,000 metres (4.3 nmi).

Tertiary protection was by six QF 6 pounder Hotchkiss mounted in sponsons on the upper deck, with a maximum range of 6,000 metres (6,600 yd) and rate of fire of 20 rounds/minute.

In addition, eleven QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss were mounted at various locations, with range of 2,200 metres (2,400 yd) and a rate of fire of 32 rounds/minute and 800 rounds per gun.

Hashidate underwent repairs immediately after the end of the war to address her boiler issues; however, she was still unable to achieve more than 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), and was downgraded to a 2nd class cruiser on 21 March 1898.

She was based at Takeshiki Guard District on Tsushima and patrolled the Korea Strait in February, and escorted transports of the Japanese Second Army to the Korean Peninsula through the end of May.

While on patrol on 10 August, Hashidate was one of the first Japanese ships to spot the Russian squadron, leading to the Battle of the Yellow Sea.

During the Battle of Tsushima, on 27 May 1905, Hashidate attacked the rear of the Russian formation, scoring hits on the cruiser Oleg, and later assisting in the sinking of the battleship Knyaz Suvorov and repair ship Kamchatka.