In a desperate attempt, Japan spent precious resources and money on well-armored and armed tanks that could only be produced in small numbers. In addition, the Japanese were defeated on all fronts by allied forces. The production of aircraft and ships required large quantities of raw materials. Towards the end of the Second World War, Japan was no longer able to produce tanks in large numbers. In Japan's tank design, weight reduction was required to be able to transport and operate under such circumstances. It was underdeveloped compared to the Western powers. In the general conditions of not only Japan but also the main battlefield Asian countries at that time, infrastructure was poor - roads, bridges and railways networks, and port capabilities of Japanese port facilities and transport vessels that are island countries, etc. The variants and developments of this tank were improved for anti-tank combat, there was a limit to strengthening of the main gun and armor thickness that can be mounted due to the size of the original car body, the limit of engine power installed, and the suspension weight limit of traveling equipment. The original 97 support tank was an infantry support tank. However, the operational philosophy was simply based on the idea that "the enemy tanks are powerful" and was not intended for large-scale battles between tanks. The notable point of the 4 type medium tank is that it is a full-scale tank that was created for anti-tank battle from the beginning, unlike previous domestic tanks which were basically developed as infantry support tanks. German heavy tanks were carefully evaluated, multiple foreign designs consulted, and German veterans shipped in at great danger in order to advise in the design of a new vehicle capable of maneuvering and operating successfully as a heavy tank in the rather unusual terrain conditions of the Asia-Pacific theatre. After a series of false starts, the Japanese Army finally re-initiated its heavy tank program in early 1944.
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