Imperial Japanese Navy Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

the british-built ryūjō flagship of imperial japanese navy until 1881.

from 1868, restored meiji emperor continued reforms industrialize , militarize japan prevent united states , european powers overwhelming it. on 17 january 1868, ministry of military affairs established, iwakura tomomi, shimazu tadayoshi , prince komatsu-no-miya akihito first secretaries.

on 26 march 1868, first naval review held in japan (in osaka bay), 6 ships private domainal navies of saga, chōshū, satsuma, kurume, kumamoto , hiroshima participating. total tonnage of these ships 2,252 tons, far smaller tonnage of single foreign vessel (from french navy) participated. in july 1869, imperial japanese navy formally established, 2 months after last military engagement of boshin war – private navies of japanese nobles abolished , 11 ships added 7 surviving vessels of defunct tokugawa bakufu navy, including kankō maru, japan s first steam warship. formed core of new imperial japanese navy.

an 1872 edict officially separated japanese navy japanese army. politicians enomoto takeaki set out use navy expand islands south of japan in similar fashion army s northern , western expansion. navy sought upgrade fleet blue water navy , used cruises expand japanese consciousness on southern islands. enomoto s policies helped navy expand , incorporate many different islands japanese empire, including iwo jima in 1889. navy continued expand , incorporate political influence throughout twentieth century.