1904-1919
In 1904 Japan was not reconized by the west as the power she was. Because of their Eurocentrism, and because the European powers thought that Japan would do what they wanted, they never thought of her as any real threat. They would be allowed to practice their own imperialism in the Far East, while letting Japan have the occasional bit of land or access to some resource. But Japan didn't like this one bit. Like a teenager, she wanted independance. Unlike a teenager, she had the ability to do so. In 1904, she made her move.

The Russo-Japaneese War
For the past 10 years, (1895-1905) Russia had been trying to strengthen her position on the Pacific coast of Asia. Japan was getting worried about this as Russia, through force and diplomacy, took parts of China, Korea, and Manchuria. Japan wanted these countries to remain selfgoverning as she wanted them as a buffer zome, as well as an open source of resources. Stresses between the two countries (Japan and Russia) reached the breaking point, and in early Febuary Japan declared war on Russia. But in doing so she ahd broken one of the unwritten rules of war: Never attack your enemy until you have declared war. The first Military attack by Japan happened 3 hours before the declaration. During the war, the Japaneese used their powerful Navy to defeat the Russia fleet multiple times, as well as using her well equipt army to battle the Japaneese on land. The only way for the Russians to receive reinforcements was from an incomplete railroad being rushed towards them, so they were effectivly cut off. Both sides took high causulties, but the tide was begining to turn in the favour of the Japaneese. The War was ended after the Japaneese fleet skillfully defeated the Russian one at the Naval battle of Thushima, forcing the Russians to call for peace in Mid-1905. The Jappaneese gained much land and resources from the war, as well as one more thing...
SHOCK! It was the first time in modern times which a Asian country had defeated a European one. It was one of the reasons for a failed revolution in Russia, and also was arguably one of the reasons Germany lost WW1. Japan gained some form of respect from European countries, and was basicly allowed to do whatever she wanted in the far east until WW2. The Japaneese grew ever further from the West after this war.

The Following is taken from the Wikipedia Page on this war:
WW1
World War 1 was a major conflict occouring between July 28, 1914 and November 11, 1918. The Imperialistic and economic reasons for Japans to involve herself in this war on the side of the allies are explained extreamly well in the excerpt taken from: http://www.grips.ac.jp/teacher/oono/hp/lecture_J/lec07.htm by Proffessor K. Ohno, Proff. of Economics at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo. Also the Reasearch Director of the Vietnam Development Forum, Hanoi

 
http://www.thecorner.org/hist/essays/japan/jap-ww1.htm also provides a more broad overview of the Japaneese reasons for entry into the conflict.
Treaty of Versilles: Japan felt that had not gotten enough out of it's job in WW1, being rewarded with a part of China and some German colonies. They felt that this was not enough. This soured their opinions of the west, but in the next few years, there would be more agravation... For the West was getting worried...

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