In the opera, "The Magic Flute," by W. A. Mozart, its leading character, Tamino, appears on the stage in a beautiful Japanese "hunting suit." At the time, Japan was only a Far East Fairyland. Its doors opened in 1853. Germany and Austria were the forerunners of modernization and pioneers in the fields of law, medicine, education, engineering and the military.

Takamori Saigo, who contributed to the Meiji-Reform, to the irony of fate, became the ringleader of Seinan-no-eki rebellion in 1877, and died for its defeat. The Emperor Meiji was anxious about his son's future. In 1885 the Emperor appointed his son, Torataro, to the German Army Official Academy in Potsdam.

In 1881, Dr. J. Scriba came to Japan. He and internist, Dr. Baelz, founded the medical facility at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Scriba married a Japanese lady and had three sons.

In 1893 an Austrian, Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand, boarded the Austrian warship "Kaiserin Elisabeth," and sailed to Japan for a friendly visit.

Fritz Rumpf, who came to Tokyo in 1909, joined a group of young Japanese artists. They formed a group called the "Pan no Kai" (Group Pan). In 1911 Dr. Johannes Ueberschaar came to Japan. He was deeply interested in this small Far East nation, that modeled their constitution after Germany. His interest eventually led him to became a lecturer at Osaka Medical College.

In 1912 a young German, Heinrich Hamm, engaged himself in wine-growing at Tomi-mura, Yamanashi Ken. He succeeded in sending his Japan-made wine (vintage 1913) to his home town, Rhein-Hessen.

Following the assassination of Austrian Crown Prince Ferdinand in 1914, the relationship between Japan, Germany and Austria suddenly disintegrated. During World War I, Japan entered the war on the side of England and France. Thus, the German colony in Tsingtau, China, became the focus of the war between Japan and Germany.

Upon an urgent message from its homeland, the cruiser "Kaiserin Elisabeth," which was again on the way to a friendship visit to Japan, was turned toward Tsingtau.