 After the Meiji Restoration, Itō was commissioned as a lieutenant and served on the corvette "Nisshin " in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Navy, commanding the "Nisshin" from 1877.Promoted to captain in 1882, he served on many warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy in its pioneer days, notably the "Ryūjō", "Fusō", and "Hiei".In 1885, he was placed in charge of the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal.