Prior to, and during the Pacific War, the Japanese Navy requisitioned
many merchant ships from their owners for conversion to auxiliary warships. The
types of ships taken over by the IJN varied from sleek passenger liners to tug
boats. They were converted to meet pressing military needs for troop transports,
hospital ships, aircraft transports, supply ships, repair ships and many other wartime uses.
This page also leads to one purpose-built ship - the IJA's crane ship SEISHU.