A New Perspective on Italo-Japanese Relations in Early Meiji Japan Emerging from the Archive Records of the Historical Department of the Italian Navy

The Italo-Japanese Friendship and Trading Treaty dates from 25 August 1866 and was signed by Vittorio F. Arminjon in his capacity as commander of the Magenta, the vessel that reached Japan during the first ocean cruise of the Italian Royal Navy. Other voyages are reported in the present research with special focus on the years 1866-1883. Mention should be made of numerous voyages to Japan by the Principessa Clotilde between December 1868 and November 1870 and the Vettor Pisani. As for the latter, its most important voyage was undertaken under the command of HRH the Duke of Genoa Tommaso di Savoia. Of the four voyages to Japan falling between 2 August 1879 and 6 February 1881, the longest and most significant, in terms of the places visited, were the second (29 October 1879 - 24 March 1880) and fourth (21 August 1880 – 6 February 1881), as in greater detail in the paper.