Assistance to Japan by Sheffield steel manufacturing experts

[ManoutotCity]

A ‘shout out’ to any contributors to SH who may have a close interest in the once gigantic and World renown local steel industry specifically with regard to assistance rendered to Imperial Japan….I’m guessing pre 1930 if not before (1920?) when that nation dramatically and fatefully  changed from ‘pro’, to ‘anti’ - Western in its ideology, outlook and strategies.  
A now  long -deceased, relative, we know,  was part of such a delegation to Japan but we’re unable to ascertain more detail. He retired from English Steel Corporation in 1937 + dying only a few years later. I believe  that ESC was originally the combine of Cammell and Vickers post WW1.  
Given the fame of particular companies like those two giants in the production of armour/armaments we’re guessing that such assistance was only rendered pre/during WW1 as relations pretty soon soured after the Great War, as we in the West came to know, only too well.

Any informed facts/guidance from students of the Industry would be greatly received. Thank you.

[Lysanderix]

Sheffield’s involvement in the building of the Imperial Japanese Navy was immense. Prior to the outbreak of war in 1914 Japanese delegations were frequent visitors to many of the City’s major manufacturers and a photograph of one ,at Hadfields Ltd ,is in the book “ Sheffield Armourer to the British Empire”.

[Ponytail]

You might find the information with the Picture Sheffield photographs from July 1905 of interest. 

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u01222&pos=2&action=zoom&id=36940

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;p01559&pos=3&action=zoom&id=99135

 

[Ponytail]

Link to:

Amalgamation of Steel Companies. 

https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/19407-amalgamation-of-steel-companies/

 

[Ponytail]

Another Japanese visit July 1911.

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u11953&pos=25&action=zoom&id=105307

 

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u11965&pos=26&action=zoom&id=105342

 

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;u12015&pos=27&action=zoom&id=105546

 

Weekly Telegraph Poster aboard a Japanese Torpedo Boat. 

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y14397&pos=24&action=zoom&id=102126

 

[ManoutotCity]

Im indebted to you both…I confess that I didn’t appreciate are just how big Sheffields involvement was, in what, I guess unexpectedly,   was to be the rise of The Empire of the Sun….I bet there were a few regrets in 1941! 
It’s the old tale, oft repeated in history,  todays friend/ tomorrows enemy? 

‘Our man’ seems to have been a foundry specialist…and maybe less surprisingly,  we have evidence of similar contacts with The USA and France with similar specialists staying in family homes ( their nationality and  profession revealed in such  as census returns). Fascinating as history invariably is….if only we’d been able to ask more questions..

Some useful leads there…