In 1853 four American gunships arrived in Yokohama Bay. Under the leadership of Commodore Perry, the Americans persuaded the Japanese to open their country to trade. The stability of the social system was shaken to its foundations, and as a result the shoguns were overthrown. In 1868 the Emperor Meiji, who was only 16 at the time, regained authority from the shoguns and became the head of state. (This event is known as the Meiji Restoration.)

   The Japanese were eager to catch up with the changes that were transforming the West, by 1872, only four years after the emperor took power, they had already built their first railway, with the help of British engineers. Young Japanese went to the West to study, Western experts were invited to Japan to teach. It was a phenomenal period of economic growth. Within a few years the Japanese had built up a number of industries. The Japanese now needed raw materials, such as oil, for industry and also more people to sell goods to. They fought their nearest neighbour, the Chinese. The war with China began in 1894 and was to do with both countries wanting power over Korea. China was a much bigger country than Japan so people were surprised when Japan won.

   Ten years later, Japan declared war on its other near neighbour, Russia. This time the argument was about Manchuria, which is on the mainland of Asia and has a border with Russia. Japan wanted Manchuria’s soya beans, iron ore and coal. The Russians did not want the Japanese so close to their border. Again, the Japanese won.

   Gradually the power of the army in Japan grew stronger and stronger. When the Second World War broke out in Europe, Japan allied with Germany and on 7 December 1941 attacked the American naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

   Four years later Japan had been defeated. To force the Japanese to surrender, the Allies dropped two atomic bombs, one on the city of Hiroshima, one on Nagasaki. Both were utterly destroyed. Tokyo was bombarded with firebombs and burnt to the ground. There was little left except ashes and the skeletons of ruined buildings.