The was an

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

fleet. In accordance with the

Anglo-Japanese Alliance The first was an alliance between Britain and Japan, signed in January 1902. The alliance was signed in London at Lansdowne House on 30 January 1902 by Lord Lansdowne, British Foreign Secretary, and Hayashi Tadasu, Japanese diplomat. A dip ...

, the fleet defended the West Coast of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

as well as

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

shipping in the Pacific during World War I.

Background

As Canada emerged from the 19th century it still depended on the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

for maritime defence. As the British and the

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

entered a naval arms race; the British, concerned that the Germans would outproduce them, asked their

Dominion government The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in-C ...

s to contribute financially to the building of new ships at the 1909

Imperial Conference Imperial Conferences (Colonial Conferences before 1907) were periodic gatherings of government leaders from the self-governing colonies and dominions of the British Empire between 1887 and 1937, before the establishment of regular Meetings of ...

. This request imposed upon the Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier became known as the "naval question". Due to internal conflicts Laurier decided that, instead of giving money to the British Royal Navy, Canada would build its own Navy. A few ships were built or bought by the fledgling

Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...

but the decision was unpopular in Canada and contributed to the downfall of the Laurier government. In the years leading up to World War I, Japan increased its presence near the West coast of North America. In early 1914, Japanese

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

s sailed the Pacific coast of America and Canada with a significant number visiting Canada's west coast, including and which visited Vancouver in June 1914. The ships and Vice-Admiral Kuroi, his captains, staff and the cadets were given a reception by the provincial government. The band of the 88th Fusiliers played for the occasion.

First World War

When World War I broke out in 1914, Canada's outdated ships were tasked with defence of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

shipping lifeline to the UK. The Royal Navy decided to concentrate on the Atlantic theatre with the defence of Canada's west coast left to its

ally An ally is a member of an alliance. Ally may also refer to: Place names * Ally, Cantal, a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France * Ally, County Tyrone, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Ally, Haute-Loire, a commun ...

Imperial Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

. Newspapers at the time claimed that if it was not for the Japanese Navy the German Imperial Navy would have "shelled Victoria and Vancouver to fragments." Also on British request, the Japanese navy sent one or two cruisers from Vladivostok to Vancouver to assist in the transport of gold bullion.

References

{{Authority control World War I naval ships of Japan Fleets of the Imperial Japanese Navy Canada–Japan relations Japan in World War I Canada in World War I Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1918

Background

First World War

See also

References