Tama (多摩) was the second of the five Kuma-class light cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy, which played an active role in World War II.

[2] With improvements in geared-turbine engine technology, the Kuma-class vessels were capable of the high speed of 36 knots (67 km/h), and a range of 9,000 nmi (17,000 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h).

Immediately after commissioning, Tama was assigned to cover the landings of Japanese troops in Siberia during Japan's Siberian Intervention against the Bolshevik Red Army.

[3] In 1925, Tama was tasked with making a diplomatic voyage to San Pedro in the United States, to return the remains of US Ambassador to Japan, Edgar Bancroft, who had died in Tokyo.

[3] On 10 September 1941, Tama became flagship of Vice Admiral Boshirō Hosogaya's CruDiv 21 with the light cruiser Kiso, in the IJN 5th Fleet.

Tama and Kiso were sent north to Hokkaidō, in Arctic white camouflage on 2 December, and were patrolling in the Kurile Islands, at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

On 21 January 1942, CruDiv 21 departed Yokosuka and was again sent north on patrols around Hokkaidō, but was recalled after 38 aircraft of Task Force 16 (USS Enterprise) made a dawn raid on Marcus Island on 5 March.

On 28 May, Tama departed Mutsu Bay to participate in the "Operation AL" (the seizure of Attu and Kiska) in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands.

Tama continued to patrol the Aleutians and the Kurile islands and around Hokkaidō until 6 January 1943, making another supply run to Kiska in November.

After refit at Yokosuka in early February 1943, Tama again patrolled north from Ōminato Guard District to Kataoka (Simushir island), to Kashiwabara (Paramushiro) to 7 March.

At the Battle of the Komandorski Islands on 26 March, against USN Task Group 16.6 with the light cruiser USS Richmond, heavy cruiser Salt Lake City and four destroyers, in a four-hour running gun and torpedo battle, Salt Lake City and destroyer Bailey were damaged by gunfire.

Returning to Yokosuka by 22 June, Tama then began operations to ferry Imperial Japanese Army reinforcements to the Ogasawara islands, making two runs to 12 August.

During the Battle of Leyte Gulf (20 October 1944), Tama was assigned to Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa Northern Mobile ("Decoy") Force.