In 1582, a group of Japanese Christian delegates known as the Tenshō embassy left Nagasaki, Japan and traveled on a grand tour of Europe.

The Japanese ambassador, Hasekura Tsunenaga traveled from Japan to Acapulco and met with the Spanish viceroy Diego Fernández de Córdoba.

The diplomatic mission also offered to expel both English and Dutch citizens from the country because both nations were considered at the time to be enemies of the Spanish king.

Before leaving Spain, Hasekura left behind six samurais in the town of Coria del Río where their descendants remain today with the surname of Japón.

Since Hasekura's diplomatic mission to Spain, Japan entered a time of isolation and refused to trade with foreign nations.

[2] It wasn't until 12 November 1868 that Japan and Spain officially established diplomatic relations with the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation.

Reynoso stated that during the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II in 1894, the Japanese made an offer of 40 million pounds sterling to buy the Philippines from Spain.

[9] The start of the uprising in 1896 coincided with a visit of the Japanese cruiser Kongo to Manila, and members of the Katipunan approached the captain of the ship in an attempt to negotiate an arms deal with Japan.

However, no steps were taken to undermine the 1897 Treaty of Friendship and General Intercourse that was then being negotiated between Japan and Spain recognising each other's spheres of interest.

Franco accepted this, and on 12 November 1937 the Japanese cabinet decided to recognise Nationalist Spain and announced the decision publicly.

The official ceremony of recognition was held in Tokyo on 1 December 1937, and the Franco government in turn recognised Manchukuo the day after.

[12] The imminent victory of the United States in the Pacific Ocean theatre induced a change in the Spanish diplomatic position vis-à-vis Japan and, using as pretext the massacre of Spanish nationals in the conflict, the former accused the later of deliberate attacks and toyed with the idea of a war declaration.

[13] On 12 April 1945, Spain declared the rupture of diplomatic relations with Japan[15] after Japanese troops murdered Spanish citizens and consular officials in Manila and thereafter burned their consulate.