1. Japan waged war in the Asia-Pacific region for several reasons: to prove itself as an equal to Western powers, to address overpopulation issues through acquiring new territory, and to gain access to raw materials needed for its growing population and industry. 2. Japanese militarists and expansionists believed conquering Asia-Pacific territories would help strengthen Japan's international status and economy by replacing European colonial powers. 3. The League of Nations' failure to effectively stop Japan's invasion of Manchuria emboldened Japanese military leaders and convinced them the Western powers were too weak to prevent further expansion into China and Asia-Pacific.