In the wake of the First World War, the Japanese looked to improve upon their 5500ton class cruisers, then building for service as destroyer squadron leaders. New, contemporary cruiser construction in the United States (Omaha class) and Great Britain (Hawkins class) dictated the need for a larger, faster, and more heavily armed reconnaissance type cruiser. The new IJN ships were designed by Admiral Yuzuru Hiraga to carry six new 20cm mounts and a sizable torpedo battery on a flush deck hull of approximately 7000+ tons (Class A cruiser in IJN parlance).
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