Introduction

Admiral Katō (Hiroharu) Kanji (1871-1939) was a key figure in the development of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). His naval career spanned the formation, growth and maturation of that remarkable organization prior to the Pacific War. His roles and influence within the IJN, in terms of naval development, in the areas of education, technology, naval engagements, institutional change and internal naval politics and naval diplomacy alone merit him worthy of serious attention.