The ship departed from Brouwershaven to Japan under command of Captain J. Vroom with a crew of 42, after the test runs had been satisfactory.

Nisshin Maru was transferred from Saga Domain to the new Meiji government on June 22, 1870 and assigned to the newly formed Imperial Japanese Navy, as the Nisshin-kan.

In August 1875, he was assigned to visit all of the Chishima islands up to the Kamchatka Peninsula to formalize Japanese possession per the terms of the Treaty of Saint Petersburg.

From February 26 to August 28, 1877, under the command of future Fleet Admiral Itō Sukeyuki, he participated in the suppression of the Satsuma Rebellion.

From July 31, 1882, under command of future admiral Tsuboi Kōzō Nisshin was assigned to patrols of the coast of Korea, as part of a show of strength by the Japanese government in response to the burning of the Japanese embassy in Seoul during the Imo Incident.