The Mutsuki class was an improved version of the s and was the first with triple torpedo tubes. The ships had an overall length of and were between perpendiculars. They had a beam of, and a mean draft of. The Mutsuki-class ships displaced at standard load and at deep load. They were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four Kamponwater-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce, which would propel the ships at. The ships carried of fuel oil which gave them a range of at. Their crew consisted of 150 officers and crewmen. The main armament of the Mutsuki-class ships consisted of four Type 3 guns in single mounts; one gun forward of the superstructure, one between the two funnels and the last pair back to back atop the aft superstructure. The guns were numbered '1' to '4' from front to rear. The ships carried two above-water triple sets of 61-centimeter torpedo tubes; one mount was between the forward superstructure and the forward gun and the other was between the aft funnel and aft superstructure. Four reload torpedoes were provided for the tubes. They carried 18 depth charges and could also carry 16 mines. They could also be fitted with minesweeping gear. Minazuki was one of six Mutsuki-class ships reconstructed in 1935–36, with their hulls strengthened, raked caps fitted to the funnels and shields to the torpedo mounts. In 1941–42, most of those ships were converted into fast transports with No. 2 and No. 3 guns removed. In addition, ten license-built Type 96 light AA guns and at least two Type 93 anti-aircraft machineguns were installed. The minesweeping gear was replaced by four depth charge throwers and the ships now carried a total of 36 depth charges. These changes reduced their speed to and increased their displacement to at normal load. Three more 25 mm guns were added in 1942–43.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Minazuki was assigned to Destroyer Division 22 under Destroyer Squadron 5 of the 3rd Fleet. She sortied from the Mako Guard District in the Pescadores as part of the Japanese invasion force for Operation M, during which time the destroyer helped screen landings of Japanese forces at Lingayen Gulf and at Aparri. In early 1942, Minazuki was assigned to escorting troop convoys from French Indochina for Operation E and Operation J, in February. From 10 March 1942 Minazuki was reassigned to the Southwest Area Fleet and escorted troop convoys from Singapore around the occupied Netherlands East Indies. She returned to Sasebo Naval Arsenal for repairs on 18 August, and rejoined the fleet on 4 October, continuing escort duties. Minazuki was assigned to the 8th Fleet at Rabaul on 25 February 1943, and for the remainder of the year was deployed on numerous "Tokyo Express" troop transport missions throughout the Solomons Islands. She landed troops during the Battle of Kolombangara, but did not see combat, and suffered minor damage from an air attack near Shortlands, which provided an excuse to withdraw to Kure Naval Arsenal from August through September for repairs. By 13 September, Minazuki was back at Rabaul, and from 28 September was evacuating Japanese troops from Kolombangara. During a second run on 2 October, Minazuki engaged three US destroyers, and was hit by three shells, all of which were duds. Damage caused by a near miss in an air raid temporary disabled her No. 1 and No. 2 guns on 12 October, but Minazuki continued to make "Tokyo Express" runs to Buka and Kavieng, New Ireland through the end of the year. On 4 November, Minazuki rescued 267 survivors of the damaged transport Kiyozumi Maru. After repairs at the end of the year, Minazuki resumed "Tokyo Express" transport missions to Rabaul to the end of February, and was assigned patrols based out of Palau in March and April. From 1 May, Minazuki was reassigned to the Central Pacific Area Fleet. She escorted troop convoys from Yokosuka to Saipan in May. On 6 June, after departing Tawitawi with a tanker convoy to Balikpapan on Borneo, Minazuki was torpedoed by the submarine off Tawitawi. The destroyer rescued 45 survivors, but Minazukis captain, Lieutenant Kieji Isobe, was not among them. The ship was struck from the Navy List on 10 August 1944.
