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).

In addition one boiler was removed, which reduced her speed to 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) from 12,000 shp (8,900 kW).

[5] Susuki was laid down on 16 October 1920 at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries shipyard at Kobe.