Kuma (球磨) was the lead vessel of the five Kuma-class light cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was named after the Kuma River in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor on 8 December 1941, Kuma was participating in the invasion of the northern Philippines.
On 11 January 1944, Kuma Kuma was hit starboard aft by two torpedoes from Royal Navy submarine HMS Tally-Ho, setting the ship on fire. Kuma sank by detonating her own depth-charges.