<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article's lead section does not adequately summarize key points of its contents . Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article . Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page . (March 2018) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article's lead section does not adequately summarize key points of its contents . Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article . Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page . (March 2018) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Empire of Japan entered World War II by launching a surprise offensive which opened with the attack on Pearl Harbor at 7: 48 a.m. Hawaiian Time (18: 18 GMT) on December 7th, 1941 . Over the course of 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 . The strategic goals of the offensive were to cripple the U.S. Pacific fleet, capture oil fields in the Dutch East Indies, and expand the outer reaches of the Japanese Empire to create a formidable defensive perimeter around newly acquired territory . </P> <P> The decision by Japan to attack the United States remains controversial . Study groups in Japan had predicted ultimate disaster in a war between Japan and the U.S., and the Japanese economy was already straining to keep up with the demands from the war with China . However, the U.S. had placed an oil embargo on Japan and Japan felt that the United States' demands were unacceptable . Facing an oil embargo by the United States as well as dwindling domestic reserves, the Japanese government decided to execute a plan developed by the military branch largely led by Osami Nagano and Isoroku Yamamoto to bomb the United States naval base in Hawaii, thereby bringing the United States to World War II on the side of the Allies . On September 4, 1941, the Japanese Cabinet met to consider the war plans prepared by Imperial General Headquarters, and decided: </P>

What were the goals of japan during ww2