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 seven of the Chi-To.
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 hull; 25–50 mm on the side; 50 mm on the rear and 50 mm on the turret.

The Type 5 Chi-Ri was initially to be powered by a Mitsubishi Diesel engine, but the advancements needed to provide the necessary horsepower fell behind schedule, and an 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.

The tank had a hexagonal gun turret and on the left side of the turret roof was a commander's cupola.
In front of that was a crew hatch.
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.
A secondary weapon of a fixed front hull-mounted Type 1 37 mm tank gun was fitted in the position normally taken by a machine gun.
Alternatively, the design called for using two Type 97 heavy tank machine guns in place of the front hull-mounted Type 1 37 mm tank gun.
Accordingly to another source, the design called for a ball mount for a Type 97 machine gun on the left side of the turret for use in close combat situations.
There were also plans for a Type 5 Chi-Ri II, to be diesel powered and using the Type 5 75 mm tank gun as its main armament.
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 seven of the Chi-To. 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 hull; 25–50 mm on the side; 50 mm on the rear and 50 mm on the turret.
The Type 5 Chi-Ri was initially to be powered by a Mitsubishi Diesel engine, but the advancements needed to provide the necessary horsepower fell behind schedule, and an 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.
The tank had a hexagonal gun turret and on the left side of the turret roof was a commander's cupola. In front of that was a crew hatch. 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. A secondary weapon of a fixed front hull-mounted Type 1 37 mm tank gun was fitted in the position normally taken by a machine gun. Alternatively, the design called for using two Type 97 heavy tank machine guns in place of the front hull-mounted Type 1 37 mm tank gun. Accordingly to another source, the design called for a ball mount for a Type 97 machine gun on the left side of the turret for use in close combat situations. There were also plans for a Type 5 Chi-Ri II, to be diesel powered and using the Type 5 75 mm tank gun as its main armament.
Type 5 Chi-Ri medium tank