Over the past few years, the U.S. Navy has experienced personnel training problems, ship design fiascos, and fleet operating concepts that failed to materialize. As it grapples with these issues, as well as a rising competitor in the Pacific, the Navy can look to the example of the early Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and its emergence as one of the most respected navies of the early 20th century. The IJN was born into a period of chaos during the Meiji Restoration in Japan. Pushed to the sidelines by the army, the leaders of the IJN had to figure out how to build a fleet without the traditions, technical knowledge, and operational experience most first- and even second-rate naval powers already exhibited—and how to do this for pennies on the dollar. The IJN’s early admirals realized foreign nations could hold valuable lessons.