Which of these factors was not a major reason for japan's expansion of its empire in the late-19th and early-20th centuries? a) the need for a stable source of raw materials b) the need to create a defensive buffer from china and russia c) direct competition with the united states for control of the region d) a sense of ethnic and national superiority over countries in the region

After the Russo-Japanese War, which shifted the balance of power in East Asia, Japan successfully extended military control throughout that region in the pacific, multiplying influence over new territories such as Korea and Manchuria, consolidating its position as the main power in the region, which had grasped since the Sino-Japanese War around the end of the 19th century, so the United states was no direct competitor; thereby  the answer is (C).

answer; proximity;

answer; self_ disclosure;