In 1898 the "Kongō" cruised to Australia from 17 March to 16 September. During this cruise, on 21 March 1898, she was re-designated as a 3rd-class coast defense ship, although she retained her training duties. " Kongō " made the 1900 cruise to Manila, Hong Kong and Australia from 21 February to 30 July and both ships made the 1902 cruise, their last, to Manila and Australia from 19 February to 25 August. "Kongō" played a minor role in the Russo-Japanese War before being reclassified as a survey ship in 1906. She was stricken from the Navy List on 20 July 1909 and sold on 20 May 1910 for scrap.