"Tsukushi" did not see combat in the First Sino-Japanese War, but was used for patrolling between Korea, Dairen and Weihaiwei in a reserve capacity in the Western Fleet. It was assigned as a flagship for gunboat squadrons used to support ground troops, and in this capacity led the gunboats , , and up the Taedong River in Korea in September 1894 to provide support for the Battle of Pyongyang. After the war, "Tsukushi" was designated a first-class gunboat.