The Type 96 15 cm howitzer design was heavily aided by the French company Schneider, but modified locally to meet Japanese requirements.

The Japanese Army sent numerous military attachés to Europe during World War I and observed the effectiveness of sustained artillery barrages against fixed defenses and opposing infantry.

[9] The final specifications to meet the Army's requirements called for a howitzer that could be elevated to 65 degrees, with a maximum range of 12,000 yards, which could be transported by a team of six horses.

The new design, aided by French defense company Schneider, was ready by 1934, but Army Chief of Staff Kazushige Ugaki opposed its production until further tweaks were made.

[8] The Type 96 15 cm howitzer was regarded by Allied military intelligence to be one of the most modern, well designed and effective weapons in the Japanese arsenal.

Additional examples can be found in a parking lot in Bellevue, Washington, just east of 124th Ave. NE on the Bel-Red Road (complete with gun shield but without the breech block), and in front of the Veterans Memorial Building in San Luis Obispo, California, USA, although that one is in poor condition.