Though the previously developed Type 74 tank was a reliable machine, it proved almost obsolete from the moment it entered service as the other nations of the world developed more formidable tank designs. As a result, the Japanese military immediately began to develop a new tank. The development process came to fruition with the introduction of the Type 90 tank as Japan's new Main Battle Tank (MBT) in 1990. While the design for its main 120mm cannon came from Germany, Japanese factories handled the rest of the tank's construction. It also had materials to provide a measure of protection against NBC (nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons) while its targeting system could engage targets even in very stormy weather.

While comparable in capabilities to other modern main battle tanks, the Type 90s proved very ineffective against Godzilla when he suddenly reappeared in 1999 in the city of Tateyama. Fighting alongside other powerful vehicles in the Self-Defense Force's arsenal, the Type 90 tanks attempted to drive Godzilla back but he smashed them aside with his feet.

Their next combat action against the king of the monsters would occur three years later as Godzilla emerged from the sea to do battle once more as the Japanese military had disturbed the bones of the original Godzilla when they developed new weapons to combat the kaiju. At first, they held their fire as the newly developed cyborg monster known as either Mechagodzilla or Kiryu attempted to defeat the monster. When that didn't work and Godzilla would return then eventually emerge from the waters of Tokyo Bay once more, the tanks moved into action as the Japanese Self Defense Forces made their stand in Tokyo Bay. They tried to hold the monster at bay but then had to fall back as the monster continued to close in towards the shore and eventually Godzilla incinerated them with his atomic breath. Eventually the SDF did defeat Godzilla with the repaired Kiryu at the Tokyo ward of Shingawa although it suffered grievous damage once more.

It took a year for repairs on the Kiryu to be finally finished. Shortly after that, Godzilla returned from the ocean's depts. As Godzilla headed towards Tokyo, the JSDF sprang into action to buy time, first with a naval attack followed by a defense by ground forces on the shore near the ruins of Shingawa. While the naval forces escaped retaliation, the ground forces had no such luck as after a few minutes of battle Godzilla vaporized the entire defense line with a single blast of his atomic breath. With their destruction, there was virtually no resistance as the king of the monsters pressed on into the Japanese capital in search for the base of his mechanical double.