Your friend asks you why during imperial period japan so actively sought claim foreign lands. whats would your answer most likely be?

If it was my friend, I'd ask why they'd want to ask me instead of looking it up. But that's just me.

Imperial Japan rose quickly as a world power due to rapid advancements to their economy and military, Japan's economy at the time was entirely mercantilistic; they imported raw materials and exported finished goods, since Japan had few natural resources to begin with. Japan began to conquer and sign treaties with other countries to be able to continue their way of importing and exporting, which helps to improve trade relations and the economy itself.