Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍 or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun) was the Navy of Japan from 1869 until 1947 (when it was Imperial Japan), when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes. The origins of the Imperial Japanese Navy trace back to early interactions with nations on the Asian continent, beginning in the early medieval period and reaching a peak of activity during the 16th and 17th centuries at a time of cultural exchange with European powers during the Age of Discovery.