The Imperial Japanese Navy was the third-largest navy in the world, according to Wikipedia. Moreover, their ships are also of excellent quality and size. This article will feature the top 25 longest ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy and some interesting facts about them.
Rank | IJN Ship | Type | Length (in meters) |
1 | Shinano | Aircraft carrier | 265.80 |
2 | Yamato-class | Battleship | 263.00 |
3 | Akagi | Aircraft carrier | 260.67 |
4 | Taihō | Aircraft carrier | 260.60 |
5 | Shōkaku-class | Aircraft carrier | 257.50 |
6 | Amagi-class | Battlecruiser | 251.80 |
7 | Kaga | Aircraft carrier | 247.65 |
8 | Tosa class | Battleship | 234.09 |
9 | Sōryū | Aircraft carrier | 227.50 |
10 | Hiryū | Aircraft carrier | 227.40 |
11 | Unryū-class | Aircraft carrier | 227.35 |
12 | Kongō class | Battlecruiser | 222.00 |
13 | Hiyō-class | Aircraft carrier | 219.32 |
14 | Nagato class | Battleship | 215.80 |
15 | Ryūhō | Aircraft carrier | 215.65 |
16 | Ise class | Battleship | 208.18 |
17 | Zuihō-class | Aircraft carrier | 205.50 |
18 | Myōkō-class | Cruiser | 204.00 |
19 | Takao-class | Cruiser | 203.76 |
20 | Fusō class | Battleship | 202.70 |
21 | Mogami-class | Cruiser | 201.60 |
22 | Ibuki | Cruiser | 200.60 |
23 | Nisshin | Seaplane carrier | 192.50 |
24 | Chitose-class | Aircraft carrier | 192.50 |
25 | Ōyodo | Cruiser | 192.00 |
ANALYSIS
On the top spot is Shinano, an aircraft carrier measuring 265.80 meters long. It was initially a battleship from the Yamato-class but was converted into an aircraft carrier. Thus, 12 out of 25, or 48% of the ships on our list are also aircraft carriers, including Akagi, Taiho, Shōkaku-class, Ryūhō, Sōryū, and Kaga.

Aside from Shinano, other ships on this list were also converted like the Ryūhō on the 15th spot, for instance, was a submarine tender (known as Taigei) and was converted into a light aircraft carrier. Similarly, the Chitose-class were Seaplane tenders converted into aircraft carriers, while the Kongō class were battlecruisers converted into fast battleships.



On the other hand, the second-longest ship is the Yamato-class battleship measuring 263 meters long. It is also widely known as the largest battleship of all time, according to navygeneralboard.com. Only five out of 25 ships on our list are battleships – Yamato-class, Tosa-class, Nagato-class, Ise-class, and Fusō class.





Some of the longest ships of the IJN were made as early as 1911 to 1917, like the Kongō, Nagato, Ise, and Fusō class. However, The Yamato-class, including Shinano, was the last built, along with Taihō and Unryū-class.
The Amagi-class on the 6th spot is the only battlecruiser on our list, measuring 251.80 meters. Also, Nisshin is the only Seaplane tender in this list after the Chitose-class was converted into aircraft carriers. Finally, five cruisers are on the lower rank – Myōkō-class, Takao-class, Mogami-class, Ibuki, and Ōyodo, all measuring from 204 to 192 meters long.




While most ships sunk and were lost in the sea, the Musashi from the Yamato-class was found in 2015 after eight years of searching, as reported by BBC news. It was found in the Sibuyan Sea of the Philippines through a private exploration team by Mr. Paul Allen, Microsoft Co-Founder. Meanwhile, a report by The Diplomat reveals that only one Japanese battleship survived World War II – Nagato, on the 14th spot.


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References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_of_the_Imperial_Japanese_Navy
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31724995
https://thediplomat.com/2015/08/imperial-japans-last-floating-battleship/
https://www.navygeneralboard.com/top-10-biggest-battleships-of-all-time/