The Type 5 Chi-Ri featured a lengthened version of the Type 4 Chi-To chassis, with eight road wheels per side instead of the Chi-To's seven. It had the usual Japanese track arrangement with forward mounted drive sprockets and rear mounted idlers. The Type 5 Chi-Ri had sloped welded armor, with a maximum thickness of 75 mm at the front; 25-50 mm on the side; 50 mm on the rear.
The Type 5 Chi-Ri was initially to be powered by a Diesel engine, but the advancements needed to provide the necessary horsepower fell behind schedule, and a 800 hp V-12 gasoline-fueled aircraft engine designed by BMW in Germany and licensed to Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan was selected instead. The "Kawasaki Type 98 800 HP engine Ha-9-IIb" was detuned for the tank to 550 hp.
Originally, the prototype tank was to be fitted with the same Type 5 75 mm tank gun ( based on the Type 4 75 mm AA Gun) used on the Type 4 Chi-To. However, eventually an 88 mm gun (based on the Type 99 88 mm AA Gun) was planned for the turret; a secondary weapon of a front hull-mounted Type 1 37 mm tank gun was fitted in the position normally taken by a machine gun. There was a ball mount for a Type 97 light machine gun on the left side of the turret for use in close combat situations.
| Type 5 Chi-Ri | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin |  Empire of Japan |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1943–1944 |
| Number built | 1 (incomplete prototype) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 37 tons |
| Length | 8.467 m (27 ft 9.3 in) |
| Width | 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in) |
| Height | 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 5 |
| | |
| Armor | 12–75 mm |
| Main armament | Type 5 75mm gun |
| Secondary armament | Type 1 37mm gun 7.7mm Type 97 light machine gun |
| Engine | Water-cooled Kawasaki Type 98 aircraft engine (Petrol) 550 HP |
| Suspension | Bell crank |
| Operational range | 250 kilometers |
| Speed | 45 km/h (28 mph) |
