 Nyorai mberi kweiyi ndima - Kupinda kweJapan muChina pamwe chete nezvimwe zviitiko zvakaguma nekuchinja kune maonero asina kunaka eJapan muUS neUK. Mukupera kwa 1937, ndege dzehondo dzomugungwa dzeJapan dzakabhomba ndokunyudza USS Panay, iyo Japan yakasimbisa kuti yakanga iri mhosho uye iyo yakakumbira ruregerero ndokuripa muripo. Ngarava dzeBritain dzaipfurwawo, imwe ngarava ichiparadzwa. Nokukurumidza pashure pacho, uto reJapan rakauraya nokuponda muNanking umo makumi kana kuti kunyange mazana ezviuru zvavagari vemo vakafa. Pakati pa1938, ndege dzehondo dzeJapan dzakapfura pasi ndege yaifamba nevanhu, chiitiko chokutanga chorudzi rwacho chakamboitika. Pakupedzisira kwakanga kuri kudikanwa kweUnited States kwokuti Japan ibude muChina, nezvirango zvakabatanidzwa zvakatemerwa Japan apo yakaramba, izvo zvakatungamirira kuchisarudzo cheJapan chokuwedzera hondo yayo kubatanidza masimba okoroni okuMadokero. Mukutarisira kufamba kwakadaro muPacific, IJN yakapa mutoro wehondo yemhepo muChina kuIJA. Panguva ino, Chinese Incident yakanga yava chinyararire cheIJA uye yakasunga chikamu chakakura chemauto ayo kwehondo yose yechipiri. Kunyange zvakadaro, vose vari vaviri IJA uye IJN vakanga vawana ruzivo rwakakura muChina, vachitsanangura muchidimbu kubudirira kwavo kunoshamisa mukati memwedzi yakatevera kurwiswa kwePearl Harbor. 