Mikawa Conventions

The Mikawa Conventions were a treaty signed in 1925 between Chisei and Yamatai following the end of the First Escar-Varunan War, which aimed to prevent a naval arms race and discourage a future war between the two countries by limiting naval construction. It was negotiated at Mikawa, from February to May.

Under the treaty, both countries agreed to halt construction of capital ships for 10 years, also limiting their navies to a total tonnage of 315,000 tons indefinitely. At the time, the Yamatai Imperial Navy had a fleet about 65% the size of the Chiseian Royal Navy, giving them an advantage in the treaty. The numbers of warships were not limited by the treaty, but ships other than battleships, battlecruisers, and aircraft carriers were limited to 10,000 tons displacement each.

The treaty was concluded on May 15, 1925.

However, the treaty failed in its goals and both nations nonetheless continued building up their military forces. The Imperial Navy laid down the battleship Tenzan ostensibly as a civilian project in 1929, and the Royal Navy followed less than a year later with the construction of the carrier Bakekujira. By 1932, the Mikawa Conventions had been completely abandoned by both signatories.