The Japanese military aircraft designation systems for the Imperial period (pre-1945) are rather difficult to keep track of, primarily because multiple designation systems were in use by each armed service. This is what led to the Allies' use of code names during World War II, and these code names are still better known in English-language texts than the real Japanese names for the aircraft. The confusion is not so much that any of the designation schemes are difficult, but that a number of different schemes were simultaneously in use.
Read more about Japanese Military Aircraft Designation Systems: Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, Designation Table
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