Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Vachiziva nezvokukwanisa kukuru kweAmerica kuita zveindasitiri munguva yehondo, asi vachitarisira kuti kubudirira kweAxis muEurope kwaizogumira zvaigona kuitwa neAllies muPacific, Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) yakatevera nzira yayo yakashandiswa kwenguva refu yokukunda muhondo inokosha pakutanga kwehondo pfupi, pashure pacho yaigona kudzora mashoko orugare. Musi waDecember 7, 1941, Japan noushingi yakatanga nhevedzano yokurwiswa kwepasi negungwa kunenge panguva imwe cheteyo. Chimwe chazvo chakaremadza kwenguva pfupi uto rehondo reAmerica nokuparadza ngarava dzaro dzehondo paPearl Harbor. Mumwedzi mina yakatevera, uto rehondo reJapan nemasoja aro ehondo vakadzinga vaAmerica muPhilippines ndokubvisa zvigaro zvaigona kuva nevaAmerica kudzokera kuPhilippines nokupinda muWake Island neGuam. Kurwisana neBritain, Japan yakanyudza ngarava dzehondo dzinokosha, yakapinda munyika dzomu
Malaya neBorneo, vakamanikidza kutera kweSingapore, uye vakaparadza nzvimbo yeBritain muCeylon. Zvinhu zveDutch muEast Indies zvakakurirwawo, zvichipa Japan mikana yokuwana mafuta akawanda. Australia yakadzingwa muNew Britain uye muzvikamu zveNew Guinea. Japan yakabva yaumba nharaunda yokudzivirira yakapoteredza umambo hwayo hwakanga hwawedzera nokuvaka nhare munzvimbo dzakawanda dzakanga dzichangobva kukundwa.