New peening technology is proposed to improve the fatigue strength of welded joints. By using this technology, compressive residual stress is introduced at weld toe by the developed peening procedure which plastic deformation is only applied to the base material near the weld toe. In this study, improvement mechanism of fatigue strength of weld joints by hammer peening on base metal was clarified by FEA. It was clarified that increasing of stress at weld toe is controlled by depression formed near the weld toe. Not only compressive residual stress at weld toe but also decreasing stress concentration at weld toe by plastic deformation on base metal was indicated as the factor of improving fatigue strength of weld joints.
