Fujinagata Shipyards

After the Meiji Restoration, the shipyards concentrated on civilian applications, and in 1870 launched its first western-style commercial steam vessel.

[1] With new naval contracts, Fujinagata moved its head office into new facilities and expanded its capability rapidly.

However, it expanded too quickly and soon fell into financial difficulties causing its shipbuilding business to come under the accounting supervision of the Ministry of the Navy of Japan in December 1928.

It is estimated that perhaps half of the employees at that time were ethnic Koreans, and at least 150 were Australian prisoners of war, who were supplying forced labor in violation of the Geneva Conventions.

[2] In June 1945, Fujinagata's main shipyards were destroyed during large-scale air raids towards the end of World War II.