The Great White Fleet Visits Japan

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October 18th to October 25th - Yokohama, Japan

The arrival of the American Fleet in Japan was the pinnacle of the World Cruise. It was observed worldwide for the outcome. Would America go to war with Japan, develop an alliance, or find peace through mutual agreement.

These cards show Admiral Sperry and Admiral Goro Ijuin of the Japnese Navy, famous for his leadership during the Russo-Japanese War.

Both understood the political importance of the visit and how it would be perceived by other nations of the world. With this, a celebration of the "friendship based on trade" established by Commodore Perry was celebrated by both. By defining the relationship in this manner, Japan was able to acknowledge the industrial growth their country had experienced since the 1852 visit and described their future plans for China as a similar relationship. They could be China's "American", opening their doors to the world of trade.

Railway ticket for American Sailors (select to see inside)

Japan prepared for the American's visit like no other event in their history. No detail in expression, decoration, or festivity was overlooked. They made sure their could be no confusion regarding their desire for friendship with America.

The journey from Manila was marred by one of the worst typhoons in 40 years. Seas as high as 60 feet battered the fleet until in was forced to slow to 6 knots and ride out the storm. Battling the storm four sailors went overboard, one was left unrecovered, Gunners mate William Fuller on the USS Rhode Island was swept overboard from the foredeck. Captain Murdock determined the seas to rough to launch a lifeboat stating "I would rather lose one man than six or eight." It was not clear what Fuller's last words were as he was nearest the ships, some thought they heard him holler "So long, Fellas."

Photographs depicting the fleet in heavy seas transiting from the Philippines to Japan. These cards are part of a set of cards photographed by Brown & Schaffer, musicians onboard the USS Georgia.

This 1908 Japanese Pin with Flags for Welcome of the Great White Fleet, belonged to 1st Lt William Hopkins. It is in the original camphorwood box with makers mark and inscription on back in pencil 'Admiral Togo's Reception'. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) hero Admiral Heihachiro Togo, held a garden party on the afternoon of Oct 21st in the Shinjuki Imperial Gardens. These enameled lapel stickpins with silk flags were given out to the honored guests. The smaller ribbon pins alongside were for any women that accompanied the men, one is a combination of the British and American flags (British Officers were present). Hopkins had taken part in the relief of Peking during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, fought alongside Japanese Marines in that action, as part of the 1st Batt, 1st Rgt, Co H, one of 18 officers and 300 enlisted men who were victorious that day. The pin is 1 1/8" x 1", the box is 4" x 3".

At right: Combining the traditions of the Japanese komono and the Geisha girl, this postcard provides a complete synthesis of the welcome the Japanese people provided to the American Fleet. Note the komonos made from a Japanese-American fabric and the flage shown with each women.

The postcard above shows the aquarium in Tokyo where fleet sailors were welcomed. The card includes the comemorative cancel in a box provide in the lower left of the card.

At right: A Japanese card issued for the USS Wisconsin showing the American flag in the upper left corner.

This series of cards was issued for the fleet's visit to Japan. The cards picture each ship and a phot in the upper right corner of the Captain, Sqadron or Division Commander, or Admiral Sperry the Fleet Commander for the Flagship Connecticut. From left to right: Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio Kentucky, Connecticut, Kansas, Vermont, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Nebraska, and Georgia. At left is the Louisiana with the reverse showing the commemorative cancel of the card used by a Japanese citizen.

These two photographs where taken while the fleet was at anchor in the harbor by Karl Lewis of Yokohama, at left the Wisconsin, at right the Ohiol.

LEFT: Program of Entertainment at the Kabuki-Za on Thursday, October 22nd.

RIGHT: YMCA flyer providing information to sailors for their liberty while in Japan. "Remember when you visit temples that they are sacred to many Japanese worshippers."

	Much had been resolved the past six months between the two nations. In February a “gentlemen’s agreement” had been made limiting the amount of emigration to American which the Japanese were complying. In March work was begun on the Root-Takahiri Treaty to respect each other’s territorial rights, allowing Japan to move into Manchuria and America to control the Philippines without interference. Other items were not as well known. America agreed to send the entire fleet to Japan while sending only half the fleet to visit China. Japan had insisted on the whole fleet or none at all, and felt sending the whole fleet to China would signal she was of equal importance. The U.S. Government agreed and planned their visits accordingly. Finally, the Japanese viewed the Cruiser Fleet at Samoa, while the Battleship Fleet was in Yokohama a gesture of hostility.
	Roosevelt backed down and ordered the cruisers home before the fleet arrived in Yokohama. It has been speculated that Roosevelt had realized after the fleet’s departure that it was outnumbered and potentially out-classed by the Japanese Navy and chose to make concessions verses create conflict.

Sailor of the fleet received pins and medals from various sources. The one at left, from the Japanese Navy and the one at right, a friendship pin, from Onishi Kinrydo, Manufacturer and Dealer of watches, jewels, and works of precious metals.

The Japanese published many cards showing the Fleet Admirals and Captains, as well as, President Roosevelt, Emperior Mikasa. They also honored their Admirals including Admiral Togo Admiral Idichi, and Admiral Ijuin.

USS Connecticut - FS    H.I.J.M.S. Mikasa
U.S.S. Kansas                H.I.J.M.S. Fuji
U.S.S. Minnesota            H.I.J.M.S. Asahi
U.S.S. Vermont               H.I.J.M.S. Sagami
U.S.S. Georgia                H.I.J.M.S. Azuma
U.S.S. Nebraska             H.I.J.M.S. Yakumo
U.S.S. New Jersey         H.I.J.M.S. Nisshin
U.S.S. Rhode Island       H.I.J.M.S. Kasuga
U.S.S. Louisiana             H.I.J.M.S. Katori
U.S.S. Virginia               H.I.J.M.S. Kashima
U.S.S. Missouri               H.I.J.M.S. Tsukuba
U.S.S. Ohio                    H.I.J.M.S. Ikoma
U.S.S. Wisconsin           H.I.J.M.S. Soya
U.S.S. Illinois                 H.I.J.M.S. Otowa
U.S.S. Kearsarge           H.I.J.M.S. Niitaka
U.S.S. Kentucky             H.I.J.M.S. Tsushima

The Fleet was met south of the entry to Yokohama by three Japanese Cruisers. As they approached the entrance three more vessels painted black with white letters announcing “Welcome” jointed the precession into port. Through the fog the fleet slowly experienced the planned reception of the Japanese government. They arrived at the pre-planned anchorages opposite 16 ships of the Imperial Fleet. Each ship cheering as their American counterpart passed. The American ships in white the Japanese ships in warship gray.

1. Postcard of Tokyo issued by the naval Department w/cancel; 2. Battleshi at anchor in Yokohama, w/cancel, 3. decorative card with Connecticut w/cancel, 4. Admiral Sperry at Garden Party w/cancel, 5. Illinois and Kentucky on floral card.

The Events at the Japan Tea Hall

This is the original invitation to the Japan Tea Hall given to Midshipmen Lofquist, USS Connecticut. The reception was given on the grounds fronting the Yokohama Railway Depot arranged for the American Fleet. Below the inside expressing the formal invitation.

At Left: Program of the Garden Party by the City of Tokyo City to welcmoe the Atlantic Fleet on Thursday, 22nd of October, 1908.

At Right: Saki cup that depicts the Japanese and American Flag with the note, "Welcome - Kabrito Beer".

Both of these items are part of the Frank Lescher Collection

From the moment they arrived the Americans questioned the sincerity of the Japanese welcome and the Japanese demonstrated every expression of friendships to dispel their questioning.			As Americans went ashore they were greeted with elaborate decorations on every street, parties, banquets, shows, and celebrations. At left the American welcome arch shown with Admiral Sperry's parade carriage passing through.
Americans had come to believe the Japanese to be “sneaky” and “crafty” capable of creating an illusion of good relations to gain American trust.			These cards includes the commemorative cancel used by a Japanese citizen.

At left a photograph of sailors on the street in Tokyo. These images were taken on one day and available the next day to members of the fleet and the community. Most had both English and Japanese titles.

All of this did nothing to convince the members of the Fleet of the sincerity of Japan in its desire to be to secure good ties with the United States. It took the thousands upon thousands of flag waving Japanese children to complete this task.

Their jubilant enthusiasm for the American arrival was unexpected and beyond imagination for something that could have been orchestrated by the government. How any government could have managed to direct every child,

on every street, to greet the Americans with cheers of Banzai with a Japanese flag in one hand and an American Flag in the other? One correspondent put it aptly, “An Emperor’s rescript might put cheers in the throat and lies on the lips of his people in a despotic government, but, by cracky, no Emperor’s rescript can put a smile on the face of every child and toddler in his empire when there is hate in his people’s heart; an Emperor’s rescript cannot make innocence the agent of deception. Oriental subtlety cannot go that far.”

A commorative cancel was created for the fleet's visit. Many of the cards mailed home show common scenes of Japanese life with an accompaning commorative cancel on the reverse.

No detail or politeness was left to chance with the arrangement made for the American Fleet visit. Flags for the celebration of the fleet visit were carefully fashioned with the correct 46 stars while the American consulate and battleships still flew flags of 45 stars!

At right, sailors take a rickshaw ride in Yokohama Park. This card is part of the Brown & Schaffer series of photographs.

Crewmembers were provided with postcards that were pre-stamped and free railroad passes, lunch tickets, and entertainment of every sort. Guides were available everywhere, and when they attended functions they found free food and beer. The Japanese had prepared a wide selection of souvenir postcards that depicted the ships, the captains and Admiral Sperry, along with the various sites of the cities with English captions. It was hard for a sailor to find somewhere on their visit where they were not met with the coordinated national effort to make them feel welcome.

1. Diabutsu Kamakura w/cancel, 2. Original Photo of Sailors at Hibiya Park during fleet visit, w/cancel, 3. Yokohama scene of decoration for fleet welcome, 4. Temple Kameido Tenjin Tokyo, sent by Jerry Nash, USS Louisiana to Seattle with Exposition cancel, 5. Special welcome from Matsu-Ishi-Ya Fine Porcelain in Yokohama.

In each port sailors new where to spend their money. In Japan, the opportunity to by items made of silk, including banners, murals, cloths, and pillows, was very popular. Yokohama had many shops that sailors could visit and select items specially made with the ship's photo, their photo, President Roosevelt, and Admiral Sperry. At left is a postcard that was handed to sailors on the street or pier when the landed. At right are two pages from the George Washington Company of Yokohama, a booklet saved by Wilbur Main, USS Virgina and available to view at this link.

Daily 3000 sailors were granted liberty. Sperry was careful and only allowed crewmembers with a good record ashore. They were particularly watchful of sailors who had previous incidents involving alcohol while ashore. In this instance they wanted to ensure that the reputation of the American sailor was maintained without incident.

At Left: A souvenir pin commemorating the occasion of the fleet visit were given to sailors at various events.

At Right: The Official Program for the Fleet's Visit

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This group of cards is from the Hibyia Park event planned for the Fleet. In Tokyo, the event was planned for 2500 American sailors and their Japanese counterpart to see performances of Japanese culture, Sailors were treated to 25 platforms that provided entertainment of every sort. Sword dances, martial arts, jugglery, clowns, athletic feats, and dancing by the geisha girls. And sailors got all the food and drink he could hold under the large tent. Here they found an opportunity to meet the Japanese sailors and share an afternoon.The set of cards above come from the M. R. Battey collection.

Geisha girl postcards were very popular for sailors to send to friends and girlfriends at home. Each of these cards display the commorative cancel of the fleets visit.

Envelope and Cards received by each Sailor of the Fleet

On the final evening sailors were treated to a show in the harbor unlike any they had seen. Starting at sunset a snake of almost 400 sampans rigged with swaying lanterns wound in and out of the fleet at anchor. Viewers remember the outline of the ships could not be seen, the entire effect was that of an illuminated sea serpent, miles long, twisting and turning among the ships. Many though it was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen on the water.

(select to see)

Postcards to Mr. Charles Fitch, Paterson, New Jersey
These six cards were all from in and around Yokohama canceled with the comemorative cancel
from the fleets visit.

The next day the fleet set sail. It is difficult to imagine, but many of the sailors of the fleet never had a chance to go ashore. Policy regarding the behavior of sailors was very strict in Japan, and many were considered too risky to allow liberty. One of those sailors was Milton Willard who had 'broke liberty' in Austrailia and had to say aboard the USS Georgia while in Yokohama. To read his account, select this link.

The fleet departed having seen the might of the Japanese Navy and experienced the friendship of the Japanese people. Within three weeks the Emperor held the “greatest pageant in naval history” with a parade of 123 ships in a review line for over 20 miles. It was clear that the Japanese had also achieved an important milestone with the successful visit of the American Fleet.

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