HISTORY OF ASIA August of 1917 Japan was ready to reap her benefits of imperialism and she had her eyes on China. The exchange of the Lansing -Ishii Notes between the U.S. and Japan, this agreement granted territorial superiority of China to Japan. Japan interest in China mostly economic. The Japanese population was growing, cities were crowded, and consumer goods were scares and its standard of living extremely low. A major earthquake also adds to Japans plight. Japan was a small island limited in natural resources and inhabitable space. The Japanese saw the turmoil in China as an opportunity to divide conquer and move in. Japan had been recog