Why did japan attack pearl harbor simple answer?

Summary: On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes and submarines launched a surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In August 1941 the US imposed an embargo on oil shipments to Japan. The Japanese responded by attacking the US naval fleet at Pearl Harbor. read more

The reason why they did that was because the U.S. Pacific Fleet was the only force that could match the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific. Since Japan was at war with the Allies, they were occupying British, French and Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia. read more