Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - shine babban jirgin ruwa na aji na masu sintiri masu sulke ("Sōkō jun'yōkan") wanda aka gina don Rundunar Sojojin Ruwa na Imperial Japan (IJN) a ƙarshen 1890s. Kamar yadda Japan ba ta da ƙarfin masana'antu don gina irin waɗannan jiragen ruwa na yaƙi, an gina jirgin a Birtaniya. Ta yi aiki a cikin Yakin Rasha da Japan na 1904-1905 lokacin da ta halarci yakin Chemulpo Bay da yakin Yellow Sea.
ba tare da lalacewa ba, ko da yake sa'arta ba ta tsaya ba a lokacin yakin Tsushima. A farkon yakin duniya na farko, "Asama" ba tare da nasara ba ya nemi 'yan kasuwa na Jamus har sai da ya lalace sosai lokacin da ya gudu a bakin tekun Mexico a farkon 1915. Gyara ya ɗauki fiye da shekaru biyu don kammalawa kuma an yi amfani da ita a matsayin jirgin horo don sauran aikinta. Jirgin ya yi jimillar jiragen ruwa 12 kafin ya gurgunta bayan ya sake gudu a 1935. "Asama" sannan ya zama jirgin horo na tsaye har sai an rushe shi a cikin 1946-1947.