Although the Japanese purchased "Esmeralda" with the intention of using it in the First Sino-Japanese War, the cruiser arrived in Japan in February 1895—too late to take an active role in the conflict. Renamed "Izumi", the Japanese Navy employed it in the post-war invasion of Taiwan later that year. In 1899, the Japanese replaced the ship's secondary armament with quick-firing 4.7-inch guns and removed the ship's fighting tops to improve its stability. Two years later, "Izumi"s ten-inch guns were removed in favor of quick-firing 6-inch weapons. In between the modifications, it remained on active duty with the standing naval squadron and took part in what the US Office of Naval Intelligence called "by far the most comprehensive" naval training exercise ever conducted by Japan up to that point. Deployed alongside much of the rest of the Japanese Navy, "Izumi" was assigned to a green water blocking squadron and a blue water attacking fleet.