Jansen and five companions had escaped from the Dutch East India Company in the Philippines and set sail in a small boat hoping to reach Canton (present day Guangzhou).

[1][2] The first contact between Ireland and Japan took place in December 1872 when members of the Iwakura Mission (while visiting England) traveled to Dublin which became a symbolically significant moment in the development of relations between the two countries.

[3] Following the Meiji Restoration (1868), Irish men and women emigrated to Japan, making their mark in a variety of fields.

[3] In 1873, brothers John and Cornelius Collins (who originated from Carrigaline, Cork) helped found the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Japan's investment to Ireland is in areas such as ICT, pharmaceutical, life-science and financial services.

In July 2018, the European Union (which includes Ireland) signed a free trade agreement with Japan.