The Japanese invasions into Korea, the Philippines, South China Sea and Taiwan may be familiar to Pacific residents. These invasions were a key cause of World War II. These invasions by the Japanese were in two distinct, but related waves. In 1592, the first wave invaded Korea. After a brief truce in 1596, another wave of Japanese aggression quickly followed.
Japanese invasions of the Pacific
1942 saw the Japanese invade Western Pacific. They declared their intention to invade the United States on December 1st, 1942. It wasn't long before they were there. They started by attacking Wake Island, an isolated island in the Aleutians. The small island housed 500 Marines and sailors as well as army radiomen. They were joined by 450 civil engineers. In the end, they were forced to surrender.
Hideyoshi commanded the construction and use of staging areas for the invasion. Nagoya was the closest point in Japan to Korea, where the main invasion force was consolidated. There was also a naval base to transport troops over the Tsushima Straight. The Japanese navy had approximately 9,000 sailors and was made up of small pirate ships and large men's-of-war vessels.
Japanese invasions in the Philippines
In December 1941, the Japanese invaded Philippines. These invasions also involved Wake Island and Guam. The Japanese attacked the Philippines along with the archipelagos around it and seized Manila and the harbor. These invasions were part Japan’s strategy in order to stop Allied shipping from the region.
After Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, 1941, the Japanese invaded Philippines. This attack crippled the US Pacific Fleet and damaged several aircraft carriers. Japanese forces also conquered the Dutch East Indies, and they also occupied Java, Sumatra, and the Andaman Islands. They also captured Corregidor. These invasions helped the Japanese take control of South-East Asia.
Japanese invasion of Korea
On the first day, the Japanese army had 7,000 soldiers. They left Tsushima at morning to reach Busan at evening. The Japanese fleet was misidentified by Korean naval intelligence and the naval command ignored them. Yoshitoshi (the Japanese commander) landed alone on the shores at Busan and demanded safe passage to China. Yoshitoshi set up a siege on the city after the Koreans refused to grant Yoshitoshi safe passage.
During this siege, Go Gyeong-myeong commanded a volunteer army of 6,000 men, and joined forces with militia in the Chungcheong Province. He was then informed about the Japanese invasion and returned to his homeland. Go Gyeong Myeong and his men fought the Japanese at Battle of Ichi. The result was decisive.
Japanese invasion of the South China Sea
Japan's presence within the South China Sea goes back to the 19th-century, when it claimed an area of islands that is now part of Vietnam. These disputes, however, have become more heated between China and its neighbors including Vietnam and the Philippines in recent decades. Moreover, China has a territorial row with Japan, which dates back to the nineteenth century.
During World War II the Japanese military held many South China Sea Islands. China was forced by them to recover them. Today, Japan is bound by the Potsdam Proclamation and the Cairo Declaration, which outline the post-war international order. These agreements must be adhered to or Japan could face criminal and civil liability if it violates them.