War chronicle · 23 August · Tokyo, Japan
Japan joins the war
Japan helps Britain in return for control of German territories.
On a September day, Wellingtonians are greeted by the unusual sight of a Japanese warship steaming into the harbour. The IJN Ibuki is proudly flying the red and white ‘Rising Sun’ flag. Just weeks earlier the Empire of Japan declared war on Germany, on 23 August, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire on 25 August.
The Japanese, allies of Britain since 1902, see the war as a chance to seize control of Germany’s colonial territories in China and the central Pacific. The British readily agree in exchange for Japan’s support. The Ibuki will escort NZEF troopships on the first leg of their voyage to Egypt.
Having to depend on Japanese naval support puts the New Zealand and Australian governments in an embarrassing position, as they have restricted Asian immigration at this time. New Zealand and Australian political leaders also fear Japan’s growing military and economic might: a fear their British counterparts try to downplay. Japan and New Zealand are now on the same side in World War I.
The mayor of Wellington does his diplomatic best and hosts a formal dinner for the Japanese captain and officers of the Ibuki before they depart, despite the tension surrounding Japan’s naval presence and new alliance with New Zealand.
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