The Sendai-class of light cruisers were a further development of the preceding Nagara-class, which itself was the successor to the Kuma-class. All ships of these classes were part of the Japanese 5,500 ton light cruiser design conceived in the years following WWI, with the Sendai-class being planned as the final ships to be based on this design.

To this extent, initial plans foresaw the construction of 8 vessels of the Sendai-class, however, with the signing of the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922, Japan was forced to cut back on these plans. This resulted in 4 ships being cancelled and one being broken up on the slipway, while the remaining ships did in fact see completion.

Sendai, as the lead ship of her class, was laid down in February 1922 and saw completion in April 1924. With the outbreak of hostilities in Asia in the late 1930s, Sendai took part in the Second Sino-Japanese War, participating in the Battle of Shanghai and providing support for Japanese land units.

During WWII, Sendai’s early war service mostly consisted of escorting convoys around Malaya and Indochina while the ship also formally took part in the Battle of Midway, though not actively engaging Allied forces.

Sendai saw the height of her service career during the Solomon Islands campaign, taking part in both naval battles for Guadalcanal. Roughly a year later, in November 1943, Sendai was involved in the major naval battle of Empress Augusta Bay. There, Sendai would meet her fate, being heavily damaged by concentrated gunfire from four US cruisers, sinking on the following day on 3rd November, 1943.