What were the negative effects of Japanese imperialism?

Japan was weary of its territorial vulnerabilities against western powers. This led the country towards its imperialistic path. The country was determined to acquire as much territory in Asia as possible in order to bolster its status economically and militarily. Japan had its sights on Korea, China, and her other Asian neighbors.

In Korea, Japan enslaved the country and led to the country’s split into two countries with the ramification of that being felt until this day. The split created the democratic south and the dictatorial north with the two countries constantly at the threat of war. Further, Japan led to the deterioration of Korea’s cultural system by forcing the citizens to adopt Japanese culture, language, and religion.

Japan’s imperialist efforts led to the Nanking massacre that permanently affected her relations with China. Japanese soldiers murdered and raped Chinese citizens perpetrating one of the worst events in Asian history. Japan also led to the onset of the first Sino-Japanese war.

Japan also had negative impacts of its own. The country suffered economically and allowed for the destruction of its infrastructure. This was due to its failure to comply with other world powers' request to halt hostilities with her neighbors. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor after the United States threatened to cut off her oil supply, due to Japan’s occupation of China. This resulted in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the loss of a significant number of the nation’s population.