As Pembroke Dock gears up for its 200th anniversary in 2014 remarkable connections between the town and the Japanese nation are being re-established.

Nearly 140 years after an armoured corvette for the Japanese Navy was built at Pembroke Dock, a senior Japanese diplomat has visited the town and has heard the almost forgotten story of the 'Hiei'.

Jun Yamada, recently appointed deputy director-general for European Affairs in the Foreign Office in Tokyo, was shown a model of the vessel, which was launched in June 1877 at the privately owned Shipbuilding and Engineering Works at Jacobs Pill, Pennar.

The superb model, made by David James, of the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society, is on display at the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust's Fleets to Flying Boats Centre in the Royal Dockyard.

'Hiei' is one of several unique connections between the dockyard town and Japan. Another link is next door to the Fleets to Flying Boats Centre at the Master Shipwright's House where, during the construction of the corvette, its first captain, Lieutenant Heihachiro Togo, lived. Twenty-eight years later, Togo defeated the entire Russian armada in one battle and rose to become the most famous Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was modelled after the Royal Navy since its inception. The 'Hiei' was one of the first modern warships ordered by Japan.

The Master Shipwright's House is now the home of Commander Tony Mason, Honorary Naval Liaison Officer, who was among those who met Mr. Yamada. He also met David James, who has extensively researched the story of the 'Hiei', and the Mayor of Pembroke Dock, Clr. Peter Kraus.

Mr. Yamada said: "This is a remarkable story indeed and I am delighted to bring this to the notice of our Embassy in London, as well as our Foreign and Defence Ministries in Tokyo. From this I am sure we will rekindle the very special bonds between us."

Sunderland trustee Martin Cavaney, who is co-ordinating events for 2014 on behalf of the town's Bicentennial Committee, added: "We see this developing into a special event in 2014. Our town's unique association with the Japanese Navy is something we are very proud of and which we will remember especially in our 200th anniversary year."

The 'Hiei' was an elegant three-masted bark-rigged vessel of 2,248 tons with a length of 231ft and a beam of nearly 41ft. Its coal-fired steam engine with six boilers drove a single propeller and it had a top speed of 14 knots.

With a crew of over 300, the 'Hiei' was heavily armed with three x 6.8 inch and six x 6 inch breech loading guns, plus machine guns.

In a long and active career, 'Hiei' saw action in a number of campaigns and was not paid off until 1911.

During his visit, Jun Yamada was also shown the gingko tree that was planted in 1877 in the garden of the Master Shipwright's House by the then Japanese Ambassador, His Excellency Ueno Kagenori. This is believed to be one of the first gingkos planted in the UK and has become a most impressive specimen.

Mr. Yamada was in Pembrokeshire to visit friends he has known for nearly 30 years, including Mrs. Winifred Evans, of The Rhos, and her son, John, who is a member of the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust project team.