text: Before WW II \n\n1854 - Japan, formerly a closed country (foreigners not allowed in) is "opened" when Admiral Matthew Peary sails his fleet into Tokyo Bay. Japan remians sovereign, under rule of the Shogun. The Emperor is largely symbolic.\n\n1854 - 1900 - Japan invites Germany to train the army, Britain to train the navy, and the shogunate disappears as the Meiji Restoration occurs (Emperor Meiji, who brought Japan into the modern industrial age). Japan industrializes, zaibatsu, or business combines ruled by important families, expand, and Japan becomes relatively modern industrially. \n\nGlobally, Japan is looked down upon as an "asiatic" nation of "yellow skinned slant-eyes" who could never equal a western nation.\n\n1850 - 1900 - Golden age of colonization - Britain, France, and Germany carve up Africa, and other independent territories. Japan has no colonies, just a few Pacific Islands.\n\n1905 - Russia and Japan go to war over Japanese desire to expand its influence in Asia, particularly Korea and northern China as well as the Sakhalin Islands.\n\nJapan kicks Russia's butt, sinking her far easter fleet and gaining new territory, including the Sakhalin Islands.\n\n1910 - Japan conquers Korea.\n\n1920's and 30's - Japan continues to expand into China, setting up the puppet state of Manchukuo in northern China. The US, which supports China, is concerned, and cuts off supplies of strategic materials to the Japanese. Japan is viewed with suspicion by western nations.\n\n1936 - "Rape of Nanking" Japanese forces capture the city of Nanking and pillage and rape. Thousands of civilians are raped and killed during a short period. Japan's international reputation falls even more.\n\nlate 1930's and 1940 - America moves to cut Japanese purchase of strategic material totally. No oil or steel goes to Japan from the US. Japan is outraged. Japanese planners beging to plan removing the US as a force in the pacific and expanding Japanese military operations to secure supplies of raw materials (East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere).\n\n1941 - Japan, ruled by the Emperor Hirohito, but run by Prime Minister Tojo, an army general, bombs Pearl Harbour and begins military action in the Pacific.\n\nAugust, 1945 - Japan surrenders after being defeated on land and sea, and being hit by two atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.\n\nSeptember, 1945 - General Douglas MacArthur takes over control of Japan. Emperoro Hirohito stays in. This allows the Japanese people to save face and gains the Americans support by all parts of society in Japan. \n\n1945 - 1950's - Japan recovers from the effects of the war. Like the Marshall Plan in Europe, the US helps Japan to rebuild, and works with the Japanese to bring in a democratic constitution and a democratic form of government.\n\n1950 - Korean War begins. Japan is an important staging point for American forces.\n\n1950's - 1970's - Japanese products are sold world wide. Japanese goods are known as shoddy and cheap. Made in Japan is not a sign of quality.\n\n1970's - 1990's - Japan's economy continues to grow, while the US suffers through the economic malaise of the OPEC embargo, Vietnam and Watergate. Japanese quality improves. Toyota, Datsun, Sony, and other Japanese firms become quality global brands through the late 1970's and throughout the 1980's.\n\nJapan is now considered as an American ally and works closely with the US in economic matters, as well as giving civilian support to military endeavours, such as Iraq. Japan's constitution forbids the country from having a standing army or navy, although it does permit a "Defense Force" to defend the homeland.\n\nJapan is now a key player in the global world, both politically and economically. What a difference from being voluntarily totally cut off up to 1854!