The Momi class was designed with higher speed and better seakeeping than the preceding Enoki-class second-class destroyers.

[3] The turbines were designed to produce 21,500 shaft horsepower (16,000 kW) to give the ships a speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph).

The ships carried a maximum of 275 long tons (279 t) of fuel oil which gave them a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

The ships carried two above-water twin sets of 533-millimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes; one mount was in the well deck between the forward superstructure and the bow gun and the other between the aft funnel and aft superstructure.

[2] Kaya, built at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, was launched on 10 June 1919 and completed on 28 March 1920.