In 2020, the Howa Type 20 was developed, and is planned to replace the Type 89 as Japan's service rifle. On December 6, 2019, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that plans have started to eventually change the Type 89 to a new 5.56-based assault rifle. The HR-15 was the first version of the experimental rifle that would eventually become the Type 89, but was developed concurrently with the HR-10, HR-11 and HR-13 by 1989. After the data collected from the field testing stage of the AR-18 was examined, formal development of the next-generation assault rifle began with its designation as the HR-16 (HR1604).

In order to determine suitability of the rifle, it was issued in limited numbers to the Japan Self-Defense Forces for field testing purposes. ĭevelopment was handled primarily by Howa since it was already licensed to produce the AR-180 version of the Armalite AR-18 rifle for commercial purposes, and some of the Type 89's internal workings are the same as those of the AR-18 - the Type 89 uses the same short-stroke gas piston system with a rotating bolt as the AR-18, but not its dual recoil springs. In accordance with this, the Defense Agency began development on their next generation assault rifle to replace the 7.62×51mm Type 64 battle rifle after its 25-year span of service. The 5.56×45mm round ( SS109), first used in the M16 rifle, eventually became the standard of ammunition type for all NATO member assault rifles.

However, over time, especially during the Vietnam War, the battle rifle's shortcomings became apparent, and ultimately, battles rifles began to be replaced with assault rifles, which fired intermediate cartridges, though they had a weaker effective range compared to battle rifles. Like most other nations, Japan began the Cold War with a battle rifle – the 7.62×51mm NATO Howa Type 64. Limited numbers of the Type 89's replacement, the Howa Type 20, were purchased in 2020. It has remained Japan's principal service rifle since then.

The Type 89 was introduced to replace the Howa Type 64 battle rifle in frontline units, entering service in 1989. It has never been exported outside Japan due to its strict anti-hardware export policy. The Howa Type 89 Assault Rifle ( 89式小銃, hachi-kyū-shiki-shōjū), referred to as the Type 89 5.56mm Rifle ( 89式5.56mm小銃, hachi-kyū-shiki-go-ten-go-roku-miri-shōjū), is a Japanese assault rifle used by the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Coast Guard's Special Security Team units, and the Special Assault Team. Iron sights optical sights can be placed with Weaver or Picatinny railing mount

Defense Agency Technical Research and Development Instituteĩ16 mm (36.1 in), (670 mm (26.4 in) with Howa Type 89-F)

Japanese semi automatic rifle