What was the reasons for Japan bombing Pearl Harbor?

Answer 1

The Japanese hoped to secure their Eastern flank as they launched offensives into the South Pacific. They primarily wanted to destroy the U.S. aircraft carriers with the battleships being a close 2nd on their list. If the Americans were still able, and daring/stupid enough, to send a fleet West to try to stop the Japanese offensives it was expected it would be whatever was left after the Pearl harbor attack. The Japanese would have faced it with their intact battleline and Mobile fleet of fast carriers with the purpose of utterly destroying it.

AnswerThe reason for the attack on Pearl Harbor was so that Japan could hold the Pacific Ocean for the invasion of the USA. AnswerThe Japanese knew that the only way to defeat the Americans was to wipe out their entire fleet before they started preparing for war. Admiral Yamamoto said that if they did not destroy the entire fleet in Pearl Harbor that day it would mean defeat for Japan in the upcoming war. Therefore their plan was to completely destroy the U.S. Naval fleet. However they did not because two of the U.S.'s air craft carriers were not in Pearl Harbor. The Japanese had not calculated this and therefore they considered it a good decision.

Answer 2

This is a difficult question to answer because it is entirely from the Japanese viewpoint, and they have not published their opinion on the subject. In their eyes the most critical cause was ... The Americans "froze" Japanese assets. This meant they could no longer purchase Oil from the United States. Since no industrial nation can survive without oil the Japanese felt they had to fight us in an effort to get oil from the Dutch East Indies (called Indonesia today). The other causes are difficult. Certainly our consistant efforts to get the Japanese out of China was a factor. Possibly a long sequence of things that indicated to the Japanese we did not respect them could enter into their thinking. For example: 1. We forced the Japanese to open their nation to trade in 1853 (Commodor Perry's "Black Ships.") 2. We did not intend to have our "White Fleet" visit Japan on its 'round the world tour. (We did add Japan to the list of places to visit, but in their eyes the insult had already been made.) 3. In the peace treaty for the Russo-Japanese war negotiated by our president, Theodore Roosevelt, the Japanese felt we favored the "white" Russians and did not give Japan as much rewards for winning as we should have. 4. The San Francisco School District refused to allow Japanese children to attend "white" schools. (The Japanese students were later allowed to attend the "white" schools due to the intervention of Theodore Roosevelt). 5. California passed laws saying the Japanese coming here could not buy land. 6. The United States passed a law forbidding Japanese Immigration to the U.S. Which of these, if any, or if all of these were influences I cannot say. Perhaps they can be collectively added together to mean that we did not consider the Japanese important or our equals. In fact this was true at that time. In California, especially, there was strong anti-Japanese feelings. This was heated up by the famous newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. Whether he led the feeling, or reflected it I cannot say. Well I hope this is of a little help, and not something that has added to the confusion. John In addition to that Japan, along with the other Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Russia) did not appreciate it when the United States, which was suppose to be neutral, helped the Allied powers (Great Britain mostly) when they needed money or supplies.

Answer 3

The United States had embargoed Japan's access to oil after Japan's invasion of Manchuria. Japan had little domestic supplies of it's own oil and relied on importation of oil for most of its power needs. Japan felt an attack on Pearl Harbor would convince America to stay out of Pacific affairs and provide it a stronger hand at the bargaining table.

AnswerImperialism. They wanted to "own" the Pacific. They felt that it was their right. AnswerThe US stopped trading goods such as scrap metal to Japan. We were "interfering" with their conquest to conquer Asia. Japan bombed our naval forces hoping we'd stop but they missed 2 major targets:

1.) US fuel reserves

2.) 4 aircraft carriers

The US was ticked off and Trueman dropped an atomic bomb on their industrial areas!

Answer

Japan was reacting to increases in U.S. resistance to Japanese aggression. This resistance including freezing all Japanese assets in the United States and placing an embargo on shipments of gasoline, machine tools, scrap iron, and steel to Japan.

Answer 4

Japan's motives were to cripple the Pacific fleet of the U.S. Navy, chiefly moored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and thus limit its ability to engage the Japanese in battle (as the U.S. was thought, by Japan, to be nearing its readiness to enter WW II).

Answer 5

The Japanese Navy had been the superior power in the Pacific for years. Now the US Naval presence was growing rapidly and the US. was placing embargoes on Japan, particularly the supply of US oil. The Japanese decided to destroy the US. Pacific fleet in dock to eliminate the perceived threat. By the time the US. recovered the Japanese would have all the oil they wanted when they invaded the Dutch East Indies [Indonesia].

Answer:Several reasons:

1. Japan was aware the US was building bombers [B-17] capable of striking Japanese mainland.
2. Japan was aware the US was preventing it from acquiring needed raw material [mainly rubber] from South America
3. US Propaganda during 1930's emphasized displeasure with Japanese expansion during the period.
4. Similar to US attack of Iraq, Japan attacked the US 'pre-emptively' BEFORE the US could attack Japan. they sought to maintain access to South America by preventing US intervention via Hawaii based naval group.

Answer:Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese on December 7th, 1941. The primary reason for the bombing of Pearl Harbor was the oil embargo placed on the Japanese Empire by the United States of America. Japan had recently undergone a restructuring of their government, and were engaged in an aggressive expansion of their territory. They had already attacked China, and it was because of this the United States refused to sell them oil.

The Japanese, upon learning of this oil embargo, began preparing for a full scale air attack on pearl harbor.

In summary, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor because of:

1. The oil embargo by the United States.

2. Their new policy of Militaristic expansionism came into play and they acted on it.

Answer 6

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor because they wanted to make sure that all the Allied forces were occupied.

At the same time the Japanese attacked Malay (Malaysia and Singapore) and since the Allied Forces were occupied nobody could stop the Japanese.

Answer 7

See the closely related questions linked to the right.

Answer 8

Because the Japanese wanted some trix cereal

Answer 9

Basically the Japanese got mad at the USA for cutting off trade with them. Japan needed supplies and goods. So they decided to attack us.