She spent most of the Pacific War on escort duties in Japanese waters until she was sunk by an American submarine in early 1943.

[4] Okikaze, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, was laid down on 22 February 1919, launched on 3 October 1919 and completed on 17 August 1920.

[5] On commissioning, Okikaze was teamed with sister ships Minekaze, Sawakaze, and Yakaze at the Sasebo Naval District to form Destroyer Division 2 under the IJN 2nd Fleet.

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Okikaze was based at the Ōminato Guard District in northern Japan, and was assigned to patrols of the Tsugaru Strait and the coastline of southern Hokkaidō.

In April 1942, Okikaze was recalled to the Yokosuka Naval District, where it was assigned anti-submarine patrols of the entrance of Tokyo Bay for the duration of the war, making only an occasional convoy escort run along the coast of Japan to Kushimoto, Wakayama or patrols of the coast of northern Honshū through the end of 1942.

On 10 January 1943, Okikaze was torpedoed by the submarine USS Trigger just 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Yokosuka, within sight of Katsura Lighthouse at coordinates 35°02′N 140°12′E / 35.033°N 140.200°E / 35.033; 140.200.