The same can be said about China that did the most to shape Eastern Asia development since WW2. Chinese beating off western alliance in Korean War marked the turning point, since that time American had to ship great wealth there, including technology transfer, favored trading condition to East Asia to make their allies compete with Chinese. 

Japan was a waste land before Korean war, having not much to brag about, the same as other "tigers". It was Chinese who made it possible for those wealth being sent to the whole Eastern Asia region, long before 1990s.