During the First Shanghai Incident of February 1932, the cruisers escorted the transports conveying elements of the Imperial Japanese Army to the continent. In December 1932, the "Myōkō" class were placed in reserve as the new s were commissioned, becoming the new "Sentai"-4, whereas the "Myōkō"-class ships were shifted to "Sentai"-5. Between 1933 and 1935, all "Myōkō"-class cruisers were retrofitted with their fixed triple torpedo launchers replaced by two quadruple rotatable launchers, and their secondary guns upgraded from 12 cm/45 10th Year Type naval guns to 12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun.