[5][6] Captain Yoshiyuki Mizuyama, an officer at the Rikugun Kokugijutsu Kenkyujo (the Japanese Army Aerotechnical Research Institute), at Tachikawa, Tokyo,[2][7] had the idea of building a simpler kamikaze aircraft, the Ta-Go (with Ta short for Take-Yari (bamboo spear)), using the bare minimum of strategic material, which could be built in small workshops.

[8] Rather than abandoning his ideas, Mizuyama found a small shop in Tachikawa where he and his team completed the design of an aircraft to meet his plans, and started construction.

His design was made of wood, with plywood and fabric covering, and was powered by a 450 hp (340 kW) Hitachi Ha-13 radial engine.

Mizuyama produced a new design for Kokusai, which was further simplified and significantly smaller, so that it could be powered by a single 80 kW (110 hp) Hitachi Ha-47 Hatsukaze 11 air-cooled inline engine.

The aircraft's fuel tank and oil cooler were mounted on top of the engine cowling, attached by metal straps.

The aircraft had a fixed conventional landing gear, made of steel tubing with rubber mainwheels and a tailskid.