Originally posted by Wikipedia:
Japan continued in its efforts to build up a strong national naval
industry. Following a strategy of "Copy, improve, innovate",
foreign ships of various designs were usually analysed in depth,
their specifications often improved on, and then were purchased in
pairs so as to organize comparative testing and improvements. Over
the years, the importation of whole classes of ships was
progressively substituted by local assembly, and then complete
local production, starting with the smallest ships, such as torpedo
boats and cruisers in the 1880s, to finish with whole battleships
in the early 1900s. The last major purchase was in 1913 when the
battlecruiser Kong; was purchased from the Vickers shipyard. By
1918, there was no aspect of shipbuilding technology where Japanese
capabilities fell significantly below world standards. By 1920, the
Imperial Japanese Navy was the world's third largest navy, and was
a leader in many aspects of naval development:
A familiar strategy eh. A sound and proven one at that.
