For several decades in the late twentieth century Japan was the largest economy in Asia and second-largest of any single nation in the world, after surpassing the Soviet Union (measured in net material product) in 1990 and Germany in 1968.
fɔːɹ sˈɛvɹəl dˈɛkeɪdz ɪnðə lˈeɪt twˈɛntiəθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi dʒəpˈæn wʌzðə lˈɑːɹdʒɪst ɪkˈɑːnəmi ɪn ˈeɪʒə ænd sˈɛkəndlˈɑːɹdʒɪst ʌv ˌɛni sˈɪŋɡəl nˈeɪʃən ɪnðə wˈɜːld, ˈæftɚ sɚpˈæsɪŋ ðə sˈoʊviət jˈuːniən mˈɛʒɚd ɪn nˈɛt mətˈɪɹiəl pɹˈɑːdʌkt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti ænd dʒˈɜːməni ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ˈeɪt.