Commodore Matthew C. Perry and his fleet arrive in Japan and force Japan to open the country's doors to foreign trade. An earthquake in Tokyo kills 145,000 people. The Japanese military bombs Pearl Harbor and invade a number of Asian countries on the same day. World War II begins in Asia in earnest. 1945 U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Japan surrenders and comes under U.S. occupation for a time.
After World War II, the Japanese people work hard to rebuild the country's economy. By 1953, Japan is making more goods than it was when World War II began. Winter Olympic Games are held in Nagano, Japan. In the south, it is muggy and hot, like Florida. In the very north, summers are cool and winters icy, like Maine.