Answer:
After Japan surrendered in 1945, ending World War II, Allied forces led by the United States occupied the nation, bringing drastic changes. Japan was disarmed, its empire dissolved, its form of government changed to a democracy, and its economy and education system reorganized and rebuilt.
The primary way in which these nations built empires was through pure destruction. They would come into these small island nations and simply wipe out populations and take control of the government.
The answer is gold speculators