A better supporter

Historical Overview:

Even from its inception in 1934, the Type 95 Ha-Go was considered under-gunned for infantry-support operations. Complaints from the Army’s Infantry Branch were probably tempered when Mitsubishi added a second machine-gun to the turret, but it seems that later in the war, the need for a more effective light, anti-infantry tank was revived. Thus, work began on improving the capabilities of the Ha-Go, most likely due to it being the IJA’s most abundant light tank, and the Type 90/97 57mm Howitzer was chosen for the armament.

The Experimental conversion probably took place in 1943, or as late as 1944, but was rejected, as the larger gun likely took up too much space in the Ha-Go’s already cramped 1-man turret, reducing its effectiveness and further overworking the commander. This particular issue would later be fixed on the Type 4 Ke-Nu.

Source(s):

Enlisted Forums - Type 3 Ke-Ri/Ke-Nu