In the first millennium AD, Chinese culture came to dominate east Asia.

For most of the pre-modern period, Chinese culture dominated east Asia.

Stout resistance on land and sea thwarted Japanese ambitions to dominate Asia, but only at the cost of massive destruction and economic dislocation in Korea.

British trade dominated Asia, while Portugal's principal colonial interests increasingly lay in Africa.

In the 60's the nation, for good reason, feared nuclear-equipped, strategic enemies seeking to dominate Asia.

Japan, long content in its relative isolation or as a tributary nation to China, went out into the world, competing against the West and dominating Asia.

In 1767, after dominating southeast Asia for almost 400 years, the Ayutthaya Kingdom was brought down by invading Burmese armies.

In 1767, after dominating southeast Asia for almost 400 years, the Ayutthaya kingdom was destroyed.

Japan is unlikely to dominate the century, but it will surely continue to dominate Asia well into the next century.

From there they dominated Asia.