They are built around a large central hangar which houses up to three helicopters and they are the natural successor of the Haruna-class destroyers.

The ships propulsion include two steam boilers with two shafts that produce 70.000 hp and gives a maximum speed of 32 knots.

Its armament includes two Mk.42 127mm guns, two 20-mm Phalanx close-in weapon systems, one surface-to-air RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launcher, torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets.

On December 15, 2007, a fire broke out on board Shirane near the rudder house as it was anchored at Yokosuka.

[2] On 27 October 2009, JS Kurama collided with a South Korean container ship under the Kanmonkyo Bridge in the Kanmon Straits off the coast of Japan.