Japan’s Naval Aviation Taking the Lead

William Jordan’s historic deck landing in February 1923 was the apogee of British influence on Japan’s naval aviation. A Japanese fighter aircraft, designed by British engineers in the employ of Mitsubishi, landed on Japan’s first aircraft carrier, which was modeled on the British carrier Furious. This chapter follows the development of naval aviation in Japan after this historic event. I argue that the end of the Anglo-Japanese alliance in 1923 cannot sufficiently explain Britain’s loss of dominance in this process. Even after the official end of the treaty, both powers were interested in maintaining good diplomatic relations, and the British