“Hatsukaze” and “Kochikaze” and flight crews, Tokyo-Rome flight, 1925.

“Japanese aviators both military and civilian have shown remarkable activity in 1924-25. First to mention in this respect was the successful flight made by our navy aviators from Yokosuka to Peking in May 1925. For Japan, this was a memorable event being the first sea-plane navigation achieved to foreign land.

“Far more ambitious undertaking in this field was the aerial visit to Europe across Siberia carried out by the enterprising Osaka and Tokyo Asahi Shimbun [beginning] July 25. The two Asahi [Breguet Bre. 19 A.2] planes, Hatsukaze (First wind) and Kochikaze (East wind), fitted with 400-hp Lorraine-Dietrich engines, piloted by Army flight officers Abe Hiroshi and Kawachi Kazuhiko respectively, safely reached Moscow in the latter part of August.

“They further proceeded on their way and visited Paris on September 27, then London on Oct 12, and Rome Oct 27. The time required in covering 9,656 kilometres between Yoyogi [Tokyo] and Moscow was 66 hr. 30 min. for the Hatsukaze, and 67 hr. for the Kochikaze; the aviators stopping 16 days at various points en route.”

– The Japan Year Book, 1926

Commemorative “Flight to Europe” postcard, 1925.