<P> Japan intended the attack as a preventive action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions that were planned in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom , the Netherlands , and the United States . Over the next seven hours there were coordinated Japanese attacks on the U.S. - held Philippines , Guam and Wake Island and on the British Empire in Malaya , Singapore , and Hong Kong . </P>
why did the attack on pearl harbor take place
as a preventive action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions that were planned in Southeast Asia