Sada Abe is arrested after wandering the streets of Tokyo for days with her dead lover's severed genitals in her hand. Her story soon becomes one of Japan's most notorious scandals.

In Berlin, Germany and Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact, agreeing to consult on measures "to safeguard their common interests" in the case of an unprovoked attack by the Soviet Union against either nation. The pact is renewed on the same day five years later with additional signatories.

The Japanese city Handa is founded in Aichi Prefecture.

Japanese troops take control of Shanghai, China.

Second Sino-Japanese War: The Chinese Nationalist government creates the 1938 Yellow River flood to halt Japanese forces. 500,000 to 900,000 civilians are killed.

A Japanese Imperial Army ammunition dump explodes at Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, killing 94.

Three trains on the Sakurajima Line, in Osaka, Japan, collide and explode while approaching Ajikawaguchi Station. 181 people are killed.

Sino-Japanese War: Japan declares Nanking capital of a new Chinese puppet government, nominally controlled by Wang Ching-wei.

World War II: The Tripartite Pact is signed in Berlin by Germany, Japan and Italy.

The German cruiser ''Atlantis'' captures top secret British mail, and sends it to Japan.

French-Thai War: Final air battle of the conflict. Japanese-mediated armistice goes into effect later in the day.

Pact of neutrality between the USSR and Japan is signed.

World War II: in response to the Japanese occupation of French Indo-China, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders the seizure of all Japanese assets in the United States.

Japanese troops occupy French Indo-China.

The United States and the Republic of China declare war against Japan.

World War II: UK declares war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.

World War II: Japan signs treaty of alliance with Thailand.

World War II: A formal treaty of alliance between Thailand and Japan is signed in the presence of the Emerald Buddha in Wat Phra Kaew.

World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.

World War II: Manila is captured by Japanese forces

World War II: Japan declares war on the Netherlands and invades the Netherlands East Indies.

World War II: Japanese forces invade Burma

World War II: nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attack the northern Australian city of Darwin killing 243 people.

World War II: Ten Japanese warplanes raid the town of Broome, Western Australia killing more than 100 people.

World War II: In the Indian Ocean, Japanese forces capture the Andaman Islands.

World War II: Japanese forces begin an assault on the United States and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula.

World War II: The Doolittle Raid on Japan. Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Nagoya bombed.

World War II: On Corregidor, the last American forces in the Philippines surrender to the Japanese.

World War II: Japanese soldiers occupy the American islands of Attu and Kiska, in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska.

World War II: Japanese imperial submarines I-21 and I-24 shell the Australian cities of Sydney and Newcastle.

World War II: A Japanese submarine surfaces near the Columbia River in Oregon, firing 17 shells at nearby Fort Stevens in one of only a handful of attacks by the Japanese against the United States mainland.

World War II: The Battle of the Eastern Solomons. Japanese aircraft carrier ''Ryūjō'' is sunk and US carrier USS Enterprise heavily damaged.

World War II: A Japanese floatplane drops an incendiary bomb on Oregon.

World War II: Japanese ships retreat after their defeat in the Battle of Cape Esperance with the Japanese commander, Aritomo Gotō dying from wounds suffered in the battle and two Japanese destroyers sunk by Allied air attack.

World War II: The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal between Japanese and American forces begins near Guadalcanal. The battle lasts for three days.

World War II: Guadalcanal Campaign: Battle of Tassafaronga — A smaller squadron of Japanese destroyers led by Raizo Tanaka defeats a US cruiser force under Carleton H. Wright.

World War II: Bombing of Calcutta by the Japanese.

World War II: Operation Ke, the successful Japanese operation to evacuate their forces from Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal campaign, begins.

World War II: Second day of the Battle of Rennell Island. The USS Chicago is sunk and a U.S. destroyer is heavily damaged by Japanese torpedoes.

World War II: In Bougainville, Japanese troops end their assault on American forces at Hill 700.