[7][8] Kai was an early designation that has gradually subdivided; nowadays, Japan no longer uses 'kai' to refer to newly upgraded F-15Js.

A single-seat F-15C and a twin-seat F-15D were evaluated at Edwards Air Force Base, and in December 1975, the F-15 was announced the winner, with the government intending to purchase 187 F-15J/DJs.

[9][10] After congressional review, the Department of Defense (DoD) withheld the aircraft's electronic warfare and engine systems from the licensing.

[11] The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) acquired 203 F-15Js and 20 F-15DJs, of which 2 F-15Js and 12 F-15DJs were built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri.

[9] Dubbed the "Peace Eagle" by the DoD FMS program, the first F-15J built in St. Louis was delivered to the United States Air Force for its first flight on 4 June 1980, and a subsequent cruise on 15 July to Japan.

Additionally, 8 F-15Js were manufactured in large components and shipped to Japan for final assembly by Komaki of Mitsubishi, the first of these (serial number 12–8803) making its maiden flight on 26 August 1981.

[9][12] Companies divided the remainder share and produced it under license from 1981, with final assembly of aircraft performed by Mitsubishi.

[20] On 28 July 2003, the first upgraded F-15J (#928) made its first flight, and it was delivered to the JASDF Air Development Test Wing on 21 October 2003.

[25][26] On 17 December 2009, the reconnaissance upgrade disappeared from the budget after the Democratic Party of Japan took power following the 2009 general election, and priority was given instead to improvement of the F-15J and the Mitsubishi F-2.

[29] In late October 2019 the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved a possible sale to Japan of up to 103 APG-82(V)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radars, 116 Advanced Display Core Processor II Mission System Computers and 101 AN/ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare Systems for the upgrade of 98 F-15Js to a "Japanese Super Interceptor" (JSI) configuration for an estimated cost of $4.5 billion.

[31][32] Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has made multiple changes to the specifications and details of their aircraft models during the production process to accommodate their upgrade plans.

The Japan Multi-Stage Improvement Program, akin to the US MSIP, involved implementing unique capability enhancements during procurement.

Aircraft 42-8832, a J model, underwent refurbishment from a Pre-MSIP configuration to J-MSIP after sustaining nose damage in a ground taxi mishap in 1991 (Heisei 3).

[2] Key differences from Pre-MSIP include: Initially, these upgrades were performed during the periodic maintenance (IRAN) of the F-15J/DJ J-MSIP aircraft.