Ramba uchiverenga ndima ino - yakanga iri ngarava inotungamira yekirasi yayo yezvikepe zvehondo ("Sōkō jun'yōkan") yakavakirwa Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) mukupera kwema1890. Sezvo Japan yakanga isina mano okuvaka ngarava dzehondo dzakadaro, ngarava yacho yakavakwa muBritain. Yakashanda muRusso-Japanese Hondo ya1904-05 panguva iyo yaakatora chikamu muHondo yeChemulpo Bay uye Hondo yeGungwa reYellow.
isina kukuvara, kunyange zvazvo rombo rayo risina kumira zvakanaka mukati meHondo yeTsushima. Pakuvamba muHondo yeNyika I, "Asama" akatsvaka pasina kubudirira vapambi vezvokutengeserana veGermany kutozosvikira akakuvadzwa zvakakomba apo akaenda kumhenderekedzo yegungwa yeMexico mukuvamba kwa1915. Kugadziriswa kwakatora makore maviri kuti apedziswe uye iye ainyanya kushandiswa sechikepe chekudzidzisa kwebasa rake rose. Ngarava yacho yakaita nzendo dzokurovedza dzinokwana 12 isati yaremara pashure pokunayazve muna 1935. "Asama" akabva ava ngarava yokudzidzisa yakamira kusvikira yaputswa muna 1946-1947.