Prior to world war ii, japan invaded manchuria in 1931 and the rest of china in 1937 under the leadership of

The Japanese invasion of Manchuria began on September 18, 1931, when the Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japaninvaded Manchuria immediately following the Mukden Incident. The Japanese established a puppet state called Manchukuo, and their occupation lasted until the end of World War II.