While the Japanese industrial revolution progressed during 1890 - 1910, themachine tools themselves were imported from the Netherlands and France at first, and England, America and Germany next. On the other hand, some small-scale domestic machine makers started to make machine tools, copying the machines of foreign makers. Ikegai Co. together with Wakayama Iron Works are the examples (1). Ikegai Co. was founded in 1889 by Mr. Shotaro Ikegai, and produced the first domestic lathe (2).
The machine tool makers in Meiji and Taisho era were supported by the workmen, and very small in scale. It was only after 1935 that the industrial machine subdivision of the big businesses became independent machine makers (1).

Reference:
(1)
(2)