Question

Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?

Answer 1

..............

Answer 2

The attack led to the United States' entry into World War II... if that helps at all... probably not

Answer 3

A.The United States was Mexico's ally.
B. Britain came to the aid of the Soviet Union.
C. Americans were killed on the Lusitania.
D.The United States refused to sell oil to Japan.

Answer 4

D :P

Answer 5

Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese for several reasons.

1. When the Japanese decided to attack America, they knew that almost all of the immediate forces were naval. Hence, they decided to bomb Pearl Harbor, as it held the majority of the American naval forces in the Pacific. By bombing the navy, they managed to cripple any efforts at an attack force following them immediately to retaliate.

2. Geography- They decided upon Pearl Harbor because it was closer to Japan than the U.S., and they would have less distance to travel. The closer they came to the U.S. coast, the larger the chance of being detected, and forced to turn back. Also, if they attacked the mainland, they would have to pass Hawaii on the way back, and by that time a force would be following them.

3. Deception- While the Japanese navy was steaming towards Hawaii, their ambassadors in D.C. were trying to convince the government that Japan would not attack.

More input from Answers.com contributors:

To knock out the U.S. Pacific Fleet as a significant fighting force so we could not oppose their conquest of South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. They thought that once they had conquered all that territory that we would be unable to dislodge them from it even if we did rebuild the fleet.
The USA lead an international movement to isolate Japan economically and thus force them to withdraw from China. Primarily the USA plan was to cut off credit to the Japanese which would prevent them from being able to purchase petroleum. Japan received petroleum (an absolutely vital economic and military commodity, then as it is now) from three sources: The USA, Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and Burma (British controlled in the 1940's). Japan could/would not accept a withdrawal from the Chinese war and instead began planning a first strike against the USA navy. Eliminating or reducing the USA naval forces in the Pacific would make the Japanese navy paramount, and thus Japan would be able to defeat the economic consequences of the USA ultimatum. After eliminating the USA navy Japan occupied all the oil producing areas and settled down to a war of attrition against the USA, which they hoped would wear down the USA politically and enable them to keep their conquests.
While all the former answers are true, they lack a point of view which is critical in understanding the psyche that lead to such an event, and it is this aspect which stands as a warning in time to all peoples. Understanding the perceptions which lay behind the construction of such a scheme of war against the United States, at Pearl Harbor, is the greatest lesson. All the lives lost in the ensuing holocaust of WWII are in vain and utterly meaningless without understanding the ideas held by ourselves and our enemies about each other, and it is these ideas which hold the ultimate answer to "Why did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor." The Japanese believed that America, as a nation of diverse races of peoples, was a mongoloid mix incapable of acting with a united resolve. That perception was fueled by the propaganda of Japan. The Yamato Race were a superior people. America was very alien to the Japanese, and it is not surprising that a homogeneous group of people could not comprehend how such a diverse range of extreme individuals, a prized ideal in America could possibly equate in to a united body. Such notions are at the very heart of the belief that Japan could win a war with the United States. They convinced themselves that a devastating attack would dishearten the Americans and lead to cracks in the fabric of the American society that would threaten its stability. Thus, they convinced themselves that the Americans would come to accept a new reality of Japanese Superiority.
A complex set of reasons, as is often the case with these seemingly straightforward historical questions. Basically, because those that made such decisions (the Japanese) decided, on balance, it was the best course of action in pursuit of their own objectives. Two principal reasons stand out though; oil and preemptive war: 1 Japan needed oil to prosecute its war in Asia. The US had stopped providing oil but, if defeated, could be a good source of this vital resource. 2 At the time of the attack, the US had come under persistent pressure (from the British and from many within political and military circles in the USA) to join the war. US supplies to Britain and its Commonwealth allies had increased steadily and there was no longer any pretext of US neutrality. In fact, the full participation of the US in the war on the side of Britain, its allies and its empire seemed increasingly likely and would have brought the US directly into conflict with Japan. Given this apparent inevitable war with the US, why not attack the US Pacific Fleet when they least expected it and while mostly at anchor in Pearl Harbor.
Before Japan tried to capture all of the Pacific and the Dutch East Indies. America was on very good terms with them. We traded everything from oil and scrap metal to food and other goods. America viewed Japanese Culture as being beautiful and intriguing. In fact we where on such good terms with Japan that they had given every state in the United States Friendship Dolls. However once Japan started to invade China FDR said that it would be morally wrong for him to support the Japanese's War Machine. With Isolation still being strongly footed into America we didn't want to go to war and thus did little to stop that machine otherwise. However Japan was convinced that it could get America to break it embargoes against them. Thus they set out on many peace missions to America in order to try and get us to start trade with them again. It is important to note that Japan had a limited oil supply and with them being at war it would only last about a year. While FDR, for the time being, would not budge on his embargoes he was still for keeping Japan and America on good terms. In fact all the way up to December 7th, Japan and America were still on negations to settling their differences and we where working on lifting the embargoes to some degree. However our embargoes did little to slow Japan down. They decided if they could not get America to trade with them they would just take over areas that where rich with raw material. So they swept across much of Asia securing places with the greatest supply of raw Material. The place they considered to be their most prized possession was the Dutch East Indies and many historians believe that without them Japan would have been crushed under the United States Embargo. So the effects that America's Embargo's had on Japan where great in one aspect but where ineffective. It just help speed Japan up in their conquering of other places. Japan's choice to attack America was a part of their taking and controlling the Pacific. They had plans of invading and controlling British Malaya, the American Philippines, Dutch East Indies and Australian and New Zealand. However at the time leading up to Pearl Harbor FDR was blind to Japan's true intentions and was more concerned with negotiations. Part of the reason America never stopped the Japanese Fishing Boats from entering Pearl Harbor. Even after Patton had warned about the dangers of this. America in all foolishness truly believed that Japan would not attack. So these Japanese's Fishing boats where allowed to fish around the Harbor and make detailed maps of Pearl Harbor showing exact locations of airstrips, ships and other military locations. In reality Japan's plan was to catch America off guard and attack their forces that where closest to them before America viewed them as being too big of a threat and continue on with their already powerful campaign. So come December 7, 1941 Japan swiftly and carefully carried out an attack on Pearl Harbor leaving America Navel Forces devastated. Eight hours later, on December 8th, because of the International Dateline, Japan struck a devastating blow on the Philippines as well.
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in a gamble to knock America out of a future war the military government knew was inevitable from strong American disagreement to their actions of taking over East Asia and the atrocities performed there such as the "Rape of Nanking. Through the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan did not hope to defeat America yet simply buy enough time to dominate the Pacific to gain a strategic advantage so America could not push through, this failed however as the two aircraft carriers that were stationed there were on routine maneuverings so they were not destroyed leading to the eventual downfall of the Japanese Empire
It is also worth mentioning that both America and Japan had joined the war effort on rival sides prior to Pearl Harbor, though America had not of course declared war. Japan signed a mutual defensive pact with Germany and Italy in September 1940 and the Lend-Lease Act tied America to the Allies from March 1941.
The Japanese were expecting their results of the attack cripple the U. S. Pacific Fleet for a period of up to eighteen months, preventing aggressive action against imperial forces, with the fleet to later be drawn out into a final battle and destroyed. The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the US Navy and Air force so they could proceed in conquering China. The Japanese believed that if they were successful with bombing the US ships and aircraft that they would then have enough time to proceed in conquering China.
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because the U.S. enacted an embargo on all oil supplies to Japan. The reason for the embargo is because Japan was invading China. The U.S. embargo cutoff 90% of Japans resources, which crippled their economy and most importantly military. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor for another important reason. Pearl Harbor was the home of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Japan did not want the U.S. in the war because the U.S. at this time had the greatest Naval force. They concluded that if the Pacific Fleet was destroyed, Americans would feel demoralized and not want to fight. Additionally, an attack on the Pacific Fleet would take the U.S. six months to recuperate and rebuild the Navy.
To destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet so the United States would be unable to prevent Japan from conquering most of the Pacific and South-East Asia.
Because the Japanese wanted to conquer the Pacific, starting with the Indies, which Britain controlled along with Australia. The U.S was allied with Britain. If the Japanese didn't want U.S retaliation when Japan tried to conquer the Indies, they would have to cripple or destroy the major U.S Naval/Air powers in the Pacific, such as Pearl Harbor, Midway, and others.
The Japanese were cut off from oil products and equipment. Moreover, the Japanese did not like the threat of Pearl Harbor attacking them.
A good question. Japan was expanding it's territory nicely throughout Asia, and if they had refrained from an attack on Pearl Harbor, perhaps America would never have entered the war. The truth is, however, somewhat different. Japan had it's eyes on the trading ports of Singapore and the Philippines...areas where British and American interests ran high. Japan knew it could never invade these countries without becoming involved in a war with both Britain and America. Geographically, the biggest threat was America, which had a huge Pacific Naval Fleet. Consequently, Japan devised an absolutely genius plan...to wipe out the entire American Navy in one blow, after which it would have been able to advance unopposed through the far east. A hiccup occurred however. While the Japanese destroyed most of America's heavy combat vessels at Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor, the USA's carrier fleet was out at sea on maneuvers. The survival of the carriers enabled America to fight back, and hold the Japanese up long enough for military mobilization back home to take place, and more ships and men to be sent out the the pacific.
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor because they knew America was going to have to enter the Pacific Theater of WWII sooner or later. America's allies, China etc. were being attacked by the Japanese. The Japanese believed it would be a good idea to try and destroy all of the Aircraft Carriers in the Pacific. The attack was set up to do just that. Unfortunately for the Japanese. the carriers were not in Pearl Harbor so they destroyed almost every battleship, cruiser, supply ship, and plane in and around Pearl Harbor.
If the US Fleet could be destroyed at anchor in Pearl Harbor with all of its support facilities a time window of 18 to 30 months would be opened to secure Japan's Asian goals: secure the Phillipenes, French Indochina, Burma, China, Borneo, Rabaul, Sin gape. Thailand and India and then to negotiate a favorable peace settlement which might involve concessions of newly occupied territory, but would still guarantee a Japanese controlled Asia. Hawaii and the Aleutians were never a target of acquisition. The Philippines could be used as a trading chip. A Japanese Empire was sought, but in more limited terms then most believed.