Japan was the only nation in World War II to design a purpose-built strategic reconnaissance aircraft, this was the remarkable Mitsubishi Ki-46 'Dinah'. Designed by Tomio Kubo, the Ki-46 was one of the war's most attractive and recognizable aircraft with its aerodynamically curved fuselage which gave it a somewhat futuristic appearance. It was also faster than the Zero and could usually operate with impunity over Allied-controlled areas well into 1944 thanks to its impressive speed (a number of these aircraft also carried preliminary reconnaissance flights over Malaya before the war). B-29 raids eventually caused the Ki-46 to be adapted to other less-suitable roles like night fighters while the introduction of fast US fighters like the P-47N and P-51H resulted in mounting losses to an otherwise outstanding and unique aircraft which was so effective that even Germany had made plans to license-produce it (unsuccessfully).

The prototype Ki-46 made its maiden flight in November 1939 with the disappointing Ha-26-I engine which was also used to power the production Ki-46-I. These problems were addressed in the Ki-46-II which featured a supercharged Ha-102 engine which gave it a speed of 375 mph, faster than any Allied fighter available at the time. The Ki-26-III was improved even further with a new nose shape which became its trademark, a new engine, and even greater speed. The last planned version was the Ki-26-IV with yet another powerplant upgrade but did not enter production. However, a number of conversion variants were deployed in small numbers, these included the Ki-46-II KAI radio-navigation trainer, the Ki-46-III KAI interceptor for use against B-29s, and the Ki-46-IIIb ground attack aircraft.