Japanese Navy visits Sydney

Three ships of the Imperial Japanese Naval Squadron departed Yokusuka for a South-east Asian and Australian training cruise of nearly 7,000 miles on 27 November 1923. They arrived back in Japan on 5 April 1924. Sailors and officers of the Japanese Naval Squadron were welcomed with a great deal of hospitality and fanfare during their visit to Australia. The local press reported on their daily activities in detail.

In Sydney, the ships moored east of Garden Island and at Athol Bight. Vice Admiral Saito Shichigoro hosted a party of 450 invited guests on the ships and an open day was held for the public to view the ships.

The Japanese sailors visited an array of local attractions including Taronga Zoo, the Blue Mountains, White Bay Power Plant, University of Sydney, Vaucluse House and La Perouse. Some of the Japanese sailors played a baseball match at Leichhardt oval against sailors from the RAN and a number of officers attended a tennis party at the Victoria Barracks in Paddington. The squadron departed Sydney bound for New Zealand on 30 January 1924.