The rebuild was officially completed on 18 November and Captain Tomekichi Nomura assumed command on 5December as the ship was working up. "Hyūga" served as a training ship for most of the first half of 1944. On 25 February, Battleship Division2 was assigned to the direct control of the Combined Fleet. The sisters were then transferred to the Third Fleet and assigned to the newly reformed Fourth Carrier Division on 1May. That same day the 634th Naval Air Group was formed and assigned to the Fourth Carrier Division. On 24 May, the ship's light anti-aircraft armament was reinforced with 24 additional Type 96 AA guns in eight triple mounts, which brought her total to 104 guns. On 7June, a pair of improved Type 22 surface-search radars were installed. A pair of Type 13 early-warning radars and an E27 radar detector were probably also fitted.