Hirato (平戸) is the ninth Etorofu-class coastal defense ship, as represented in [[Kantai Collection]]. She is named after "Hirado Island, the fourth largest island in Nagasaki Prefecture ":[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirado_Island] which is part of the city with the same name.

Hirato has [[short_hair|short]] [[grey_hair|gray]] [[wavy hair]] and [[brown eyes|brown]] eyes and wears [[glasses]], giving her an appearance similar to an old woman. She wears a [[serafuku]] similar to [[Etorofu (kancolle)|Etorofu]]'s: an elementary school serafuku with prominent [[buttons]], with a [[hat]] bearing a [[blue ribbon]] , [[blue_neckerchief|light blue]] [[neckerchief]], [[white gloves]], and [[blue_skirt|blue]] [[pleated skirt]]. She differs from Etorofu by wearing a shirt with [[long sleeves]] that stop mid-forearm and [[white legwear|white]] [[thighhighs]] that are held by [[garter straps]] (which are visible on her damaged CG).

Her [[machinery|rigging]] is similar to Etorofu's. It involves a pistol-like single-[[cannon]] [[turret]] held in her right hand.  A [[mast]] and [[smokestack]] are carried on her back by straps like a backpack, while depth charge launchers are held like a purse from another strap.  An anti-air gun is [[thigh_strap|strapped]] to her right thigh, and more depth charges are strapped to her left.

As a coastal defense ship, her class is even smaller than destroyers, and as such, she is portrayed as an "elementary school student" character, even younger than the generally "middle school" appearances of the destroyers. As mentioned above, however, Hirato comes off looking like a old woman and her somewhat soft-spoken demeanor seems to further support this. That said, she can become reciprocally vengeful when provoked, as evidenced by her damaged CG where she seemingly aims her cannon at the viewer.

The historical ship was completed on 28 Sep 1943 and sunk by USS Growler (SS-215) on 12 Sep 1944 in the South China Sea [17-54N, 114-49].

h4. Etorofu-class Escorts
* [[Etorofu (Kancolle)]] (択捉)
* [[Matsuwa (Kancolle)]] (松輪)
* [[Sado (Kancolle)]] (佐渡)
* [[Tsushima (Kancolle)]] (対馬, post-war Lin An (臨安))
* [b]Hirato[/b] (平戸)
* [[Fukae (Kancolle)]] (福江)

h4. See Also
* [[list of Kantai Collection characters]]

h4. External Links
* "Wikipedia: Etorofu-class escort ship":[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etorofu-class_escort_ship]
平戸 平戸(艦隊これくしょん) 平戸(艦これ)