The Beginning of Japanese Air Warfare
Starting in 1910, Japan acquired their first aircraft and pursued it during and after World War I. Translating over into World War II, The Japanese Navy Air Service served as a huge threat in the Pacific Theatre. By 1941, the Japanese created planes with a focal point on maneuverability, in hopes of being evasive in war and avoid the firepower of other developed countries such as the United States.
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The Japanese would have never been able to create these evasive planes in a timely manner without War Minister Ishiwara Kanji. In May of 1937, Kanji pushed a five year program plan to convert the industry from light to heavy. This alone increased the production of Japanese aircraft by tenfold.