# Kasado-class minesweeper

The Kasado class is a class of coastal minesweepers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

## Development

During the Pacific War, a large number of mines were laid in the waters near Japan by both Japan and the United States, which greatly hindered shipping including coastal areas at the end of the war, so the need to deal with this was urgent. It was a thing. For this reason, the scavenging force was maintained even while the Imperial Japanese Navy was dismantled after the surrender of Japan, and was taken over by the 2nd Ministry of Demobilization on December 1, 1945. After that, minesweepers were absorbed by the Japan Coast Guard, which was established on August 1, 1952, and transferred to the Coastal Security Force.
Immediately after its inauguration, the guards have been aiming for domestic production of minesweepers. First, in 1953, the Atada-class minesweeper and JDS Yashiro were built with the characteristics of an actual ship experiment. Based on its achievements, this model was designed as the first mass-produced minesweeper after the war. In designing, it was aimed to have the same performance as the US Navy's Bluebird-class minesweeper (operated as a Yamashima-class minesweeper with the donation of four from 1954).

## Ships in the class

| Pennant no. | Name | Builders | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Home port |
| MSC-604 | Kasado | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 9 July 1957 | 19 March 1958 | 26 June 1958 | 27 March 1982 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-605 | Shisaka | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 20 July 1957 | 20 March 1958 | 16 August 1958 | 30 March 1983 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-606 | Kanawa | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 25 August 1958 | 22 April 1959 | 24 July 1959 | 10 February 1984 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-607 | Sakito | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 16 August 1958 | 22 April 1959 | 25 August 1959 | 257 March 1982 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-608 | Habushi | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 25 August 1958 | 19 June 1959 | 22 September 1959 | 4 September 1982 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-609 | Kouzu | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 24 March 1959 | 12 November 1959 | 26 February 1960 | 18 March 1981 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-610 | Tatara | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 20 March 1959 | 14 January 1960 | 26 March 1960 | 13 March 1984 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-611 | Tsukumi | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 24 March 1959 | 12 January 1960 | 27 April 1960 | 30 March 1983 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-612 | Mikura | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 30 March 1959 | 14 March 1960 | 27 May 1960 | 3 March 1989 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-613 | Shikine | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 12 January 1960 | 22 July 1960 | 15 November 1960 | 30 January 1984 | Sasebo |
| MSC-614 | Hirado | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 14 March 1960 | 3 October 1960 | 17 December 1960 | 27 March 1985 | Sasebo |
| MSC-615 | Koshiki | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 20 March 1961 | 6 November 1961 | 29 January 1961 | 18 March 1981 | Ominato |
| MSC-616 | Hotaka | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 22 March 1961 | 23 October 1961 | 24 February 1962 | 27 January 1983 | Ominato |
| MSC-617 | Karato | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 15 March 1962 | 11 December 1962 | 27 March 1963 | 7 September 1987 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-618 | Hario | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 19 March 1962 | 10 December 1962 | 23 March 1963 | 27 March 1986 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-619 | Mutsure | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 28 March 1963 | 16 December 1963 | 24 March 1963 | 4 June 1986 | Yokosuka |
| MSC-620 | Chiburi | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 27 March 1963 | 29 November 1963 | 25 March 1964 | 24 May 1986 | Sasebo |
| MSC-621 | Ōtsu | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 7 March 1964 | 5 November 1964 | 24 February 1965 | 16 December 1986 | Ominato |
| MSC-622 | Kudako | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 17 February 1964 | 20 November 1964 | 24 March 1965 | 24 March 1987 | Sasebo |
| MSC-623 | Rishiri | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 9 March 1965 | 22 November 1965 | 5 March 1966 | 10 March 1988 | Ominato |
| MSC-624 | Rebun | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 27 March 1965 | 7 December 1965 | 24 March 1966 | 24 March 1987 | Ominato |
| MSC-625 | Amami | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 10 March 1966 | 31 October 1966 | 6 March 1967 | 29 November 1989 | Sasebo |
| MSC-626 | Urume | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 1 February 1966 | 12 November 1966 | 30 January 1967 | 17 November 1989 | Sasebo |
| MSC-627 | Minase | Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kanagawa | 1 February 1966 | 10 January 1967 | 25 March 1967 | 15 June 1990 | Sasebo |
| MSC-628 | Ibuki | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 27 February 1967 | 2 December 1967 | 27 February 1968 | 29 November 1989 | Sasebo |
| MSC-629 | Katsura | Nippon Kokan, Keihin | 10 February 1967 | 18 September 1967 | 15 February 1968 | 14 May 1990 | Maizuru |

## Citations

* ↑ 航路啓開史 (PDF) (Report) (in Japanese). Japanese Navy. 1 September 2009. p. 11. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
* ↑ Hirogun, Yosuke (June 2010). History of Construction of Wooden Minesweepers by the Maritime Self-Defense Force, Ships of the World. Vol. 725. Japan: Gaijinsha. pp. 155–161.