In 500-600 Buddhism comes to Japan. Today, more than 70% of Japanese people are Buddhists. From 1274 to 1281 military dictators known as shoguns rule Japan and successfully keep invaders out of the country. In 1853 United States commodore Matthew Perry enters Japan. He demands that Japan trade with the U.S. From 1868 to 1912, under Emperor Meiji, Japan becomes wealthy and powerful. The country wins wars against China and Russia. In 1910, Japan takes over the Korean peninsula and rules it for 35 years, until 1945. In 1923, The Great Kanto Earthquake, one of the worst quakes in world history, destroys Tokyo and Yokohama. More than 140,000 people are killed. In 1931 Japan invades Manchuria, China. In 1937, Japan goes to war against China. From 1940 to 1941, Japan becomes an ally of Germany and Italy in World War II. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, the U.S. naval base in Hawaii. In 1945, the U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrenders. In 1955, a major earthquake hits central Japan. In 2010, China overtakes Japan as the world’s second largest economy.