ˌɔn twˈɛnti fˈaɪv fˈɛbɹuːˌɛɹi nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi sˈɪks, sækˈɑːwə wʌz sˈɛnt tə jˈɑːkəsˌuːkə, wˌɛɹ ʃiː wʌz fˈɔːɹməli hˈændᵻd ˌoʊvɚ tə ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts nˈeɪvi æz ɐ pɹˈaɪz ʌv wˈɔːɹ, fɔːɹ jˈuːs ɐlˈɔŋ wɪð ˈʌðɚ sɚvˈaɪvɪŋ ʃˈɪps ʌvðə fˈɔːɹmɚɹ ɪmpˈɪɹiəl dʒˌæpənˈiːz nˈeɪvi ɪnðɪ ʌpkˈʌmɪŋ bɪkˈiːni ɐtˈɑːmɪk ɛkspˈɛɹɪmənts.
On 25 February 1946, Sakawa was sent to Yokosuka, where she was formally handed over to the United States Navy as a prize of war, for use (along with other surviving ships of the former Imperial Japanese Navy) in the upcoming Bikini atomic experiments.