Sakura and her sister ship Tachibana were at first planned to be large ocean-going vessels however due to financial problems they were redesigned to a smaller type.

Unlike the preceding Umikaze class, which was powered by Parsons turbines, Tachibana was installed with vertical expansion engines.

The ship, built at the Maizuru Naval Arsenal, was launched in 1911, completed in 1912, and entered service shortly afterward.

After 20 years of service, Sakura was decommissioned in 1932 and scrapped in 1933.

This article about a specific military ship or boat of Japan is a stub.