Furthermore, some in the Japanese military thought that the US was about to declare war on the Empire and thus wanted to weaken the American military beforehand.
The Japanese Empire attacked the Hawaiian naval base of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. One reason for this attack was the American sanctions placed on Japan following its invasion of countries like China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Furthermore, some in the Japanese military thought that the US was about to declare war on the Empire and thus wanted to weaken the American military beforehand. The attack killed around 2,400 people, most of whom were soldiers. Furthermore, it destroyed eight battleships, eight cruisers, thirty destroyers, four submarines, and 390 aircraft.