Hosho (Japanese: Flying Phoenix) was a Japanese light aircraft carrier, the keel of which was laid in 1919, launched in November 1921, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1922. The ship was 168.5 meters long, 22.7 meters wide, and had a full displacement of 9,500 tons. The maximum speed of the Hosho aircraft carrier was around 25 knots, and its main armament consisted of only 21 on-board planes.
Hosho was the first aircraft carrier in the history of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Hosho's hull was originally intended for the construction of an oil tanker, but these plans were dropped. After entering service, the ship underwent numerous modernizations, including: in 1924 the island superstructure on the right side was removed, and in 1936 tilted chimneys were installed on the Hosho. On the other hand, in 1944, the flight deck was extended and the number of aircraft elevators was increased. Hosho underwent his baptism of fire in 1932 during the fighting in China. Later, in the period 1937-1940, Hosho took part in this theater of activities very intensively. In the course of World War II, its air group was reduced to only 8 planes, and the only major action of the aircraft carrier was participation in the Battle of Midway in June 1942, where it, however, played a secondary protective role. After this battle, the Hosho was used as a training ship and took no part in combat operations. In 1947, it was scrapped as the last Japanese carrier to remember the war in the Pacific.