The Ki-34 was originally designed as a civil transport. Nakajima Aircraft Company, which had the license-production rights to the Douglas DC-2, began design work in 1935 on a smaller twin engine airliner for routes which did not have the capacity to justify use of the larger DC-2. The initial design was designated AT-1, and after numerous design iterations, flew as a prototype designated AT-2 on 12 September 1936
Actually the caption on that picture is incorrect, pictured is not a Ki-34 but a Ki-56 ( or Type LO transport) a Licensed Copy of the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra, but powered by Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Ha-26-I 14 cylinder engines, allied code name Thelma.
Mitsubishi A5M4 Navy Type 96 carrier fighters of the aircraft carrier Kaga, photographed in November 1939 at Kasanohara Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture the net