Japanese imperialism in the late 1930s was marked by brutal military invasions, especially in China, where the occupation of Manchuria in 1931 was followed by a full-scale invasion in 1937. Japan aimed to dominate East Asia economically and politically, using military force to seize territory and natural resources. Japan’s leaders believed expansion was necessary because “the Western refusal to accept Asians as equal to Europeans and North Americans” (Smethurst, 2). and the restrictions on Japanese trade and immigration justified their actions. The invasion of China, particularly events like the Nanjing Massacre, exemplified how imperial ambitions fueled violence and escalated tensions with Western powers, eventually drawing Japan into wider war. This led to tensions rising between Japan and the U.S. before the war even began.