Only two prototypes were built and the first flight was not until August 3, 1945, less than two weeks before the Japanese surrender. One of the the prototypes was scrapped after the war and the other is preserved in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
Despite having played no role in the war, the Shinden's distinctive appearance (with a rear-mounted "pusher" propeller, rear-mounted wings and canards) and the fact that it was Imperial Japan's most technologically advanced piston aircraft have given it an enduring popularity.
