What Led up to "the Rape of Nanking"?

In the 1930's, economic disaster and the rise of political extremism contributed to a Japanese society where war and violence were glorified. With 65 million people crammed on Japan's little islands, population was suffocatingly dense. With so many mouths to feed, Japanese agriculture was pushed to its limits. The overworked Japanese land could not produce enough food to feeds its people and Japan was forced to rely heavily on imports. Mass starvation ensued. Daughters were sold into prostitution for a sack of rice, and economy plummeted. Discontentment grew. Between the years of 1931 and 1936, a series of attempted coups, overturned the government, power ending up with a more cautious faction in the government, though many still believed in the superiority Japan. This belief of superiority led to support of Japanese expansion and conquering of countries viewed as inferior to the great nation of Japan. Most importantly, this eventually led to the integration of military influence into the early childhood