Tokyo and World War II is synonymous with the atom bomb explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. It is important to understand the backdrop of Japan's involvement in the second World War.
Between 1930 and 1940 Japan undertook ambitious plans of expanding their empire to other Asian countries. Consequently, the Japanese army attacked China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Philippines, Guam and Dutch East Indies.
The surprise attack of Japanese bombers on Pearl Harbor in US unified the Allies against Japan. In the months of February and March, 1942 the Pacific Fleet of the US attacked Wake, Marshalls, and Marcus army bases of Japan. Australian forces raided the Japanese base in Rabaul during the same time. In April 1942 hit and run raids were conducted by the Allies on Tokyo.
Japan in an effort to damage the Allied forces communication lines to Australia moved southward from Rabaul to Tulagi and Guadalcanal in the Solomon
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Islands. Japanese forces in their course captured Kiska and Attu in the Aluetian Islands. But in their endeavor to capture Midway Island, located south west of Hawaii, the Japanese forces were irreparably damaged in the battles of Midway and Coral Sea.
In the spring/summer of 1943 the Allied forces worked out strategies for defeating Japan in 2nd World War. Consequently, Japanese lines of communication were severed around the South China Sea and Chinese coast. Subsequently they severed all Japanese connections in Singapore, Philippines, and Dutch East Indies.
Ultimately, the 2nd World War came to an end with USA exploding two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Subsequently on 2nd September, 1945 Japan signed the Postdam Declaration aboard the warship USS Missouri.
Tokyo and World War II go hand in hand in having decided the outcome of the war.
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