World War I makes Japan an expeditionary navy

Japan had already proved itself as a regional naval power, and World War I extended its experience to keeping a force operating consistently in the Mediterranean. During the Russo-Japanese War, Russian fears of Japanese torpedo craft in the North Sea exceeded Japan's ability to get them there in time or without British support. In World War I, Japan sent, supported, and employed a force far from home over a sustained period. The Mediterranean force used British facilities and worked with British forces while gaining experience with the institutional and logistical demands of expeditionary naval operations.