"Unebi" disappeared without a trace somewhere in the South China Sea. No survivors and no wreckage were ever found despite searching by ships from the IJN and the Royal Navy's China Station; the most popular theory is that the design was top-heavy due to its excessive armament and was unstable in rough weather. "Unebi" was officially declared lost with all hands and stricken from the navy list on 19 October 1887. A memorial monument to the missing crew of "Unebi" is located at Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.