Marine

1519 · 212753 — 練習艦磐手. Renshūkan Iwate. Taisho 15 1926. Large folding map with outline colour in rear pocket one full page colour map five full page colour plates 78 plates with black and white or monotone photographic images many with five images to a page attractively arranged images captioned in Japanese 15pp 78 plates all edges gilt. Endpapers browned some very occasional light spotting silk covered boards worn with a little loss to silk at corners and head and tail of spine. 25.6 x 33.8 cm. The tradition of the annual training cruise for newly graduated Japanese naval officers started in 1903. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance which was signed only the year before the tradition of these cruises began made Japan a strong naval ally of Britain. The alliance with Britain meant these ships were warmly and enthusiastically welcomed in their British Empire ports of call. This photographic album one in the series issued to commemorate these annual voyages commemorates the cruise which took place between November 1925 and April 1926. The Washington Naval Treaty signed in 1922 restricted the naval power of major powers including Japan which may be why instead of two or three ships a single warship the Iwate completed this cruise. <br> <br>Following the short cruise to visit Japanese cities and China and Korea which each training voyage did the Iwate set off on the larger part of the cruise in November 1925. Leaving Japan the Iwate first sailed to Shanghai and then to Hong Kong Manila and Singapore. In Singapore pictures show the crew visiting the city including the botanical gardens. A beautiful full-page colour plate of Singapore in rain is featured. Leaving Singapore the cruise continued onto Batavia before reaching Fremantle just as the new year began. While in Australia the crew visited Perth Adelaide Melbourne Hobart and Sydney. <br> <br>In each port the crew took part in excursions visiting botanical gardens zoos and beaches. They also held open days on board where local dignitaries and the public were invited to enjoy Japanese hospitality on the Iwate. From Sydney the ship sailed to New Zealand and stopped at Wellington and Auckland. They had a special excursion to Rotorua by train. Then the ship sailed to Fiji Chuuk and Saipan before returning to Yokosuka Japan in April 1926. Images in this commemorative album show the Commandant and his officers with local dignitaries and mixing with the locals at the ports they visited <br> <br>This fascinating record offers an extensive and detailed photographic record of all the ports that were visited during the tour. The captions are in Japanese. The album also contains photographs of the crew as well as details of their lives on board. . 練習艦磐手. [Renshūkan Iwate]. hardcover