Artillery of Japan

Artillery in Japan is recorded in the 13th century. It was not used widely before the Sengoku period in the 16th century.^[1]

Takashima Shuhan artillery demonstration for roju and daimyo, 1841

Description of the mechanism of a breech-loading swivel gun in Japanese. 16th century.

History

In the 1840s, the Tokugawa Shogunate began to anticipate that either British or French military might attack Japan. Takashima Shuhan (1798-1866) submitted a petition to the shogun calling for the purchase of Western firearms. In 1841, a demonstration of Western gunnery made a strong impression.^[2] Powerful conservative factions in the shogunate resisted change.^[3]

British capture Japanese cannon, 1864

During the 1864 Bombardment of Shimonoseki, European naval guns were shown to be superior to Japanese cannon on shore.^[4]

Following the Meiji Restoration, Japan would pursue a policy of "Rich country, strong army" (富国強兵), which led to a general rearmament.

Imperial Japanese Army

The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) used artillery during the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895).

Naval guns and field artillery were important in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905.

Before and during World War II, the Japanese Army deployed a variety of artillery pieces.

Imperial Japanese Navy

The French-built Matsushima, flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of the Yalu River (1894), used a 320 mm (13 in) Canet gun.

The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) developed large naval artillery pieces.

Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF)

The self-propelled artillery of the current Japanese military include

• Type 75 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
• M110 howitzer
• M270 MLRS
• Type 99 155 mm self-propelled howitzer

Related pages

• List of field guns
• List of heavy mortars
• List of howitzers