 Panguva yekurwiswa kwePearl Harbor, Kawakaze yakapiwa Destroyer Division 24 yeDestroyer Squadron 4 yeIJN 2nd Fleet, uye yakanga yabva kuPalau sechikamu chePhilippine invasion force, ichifukidza kumhara kuLegaspi neLamon Bay. Kubva muna Ndira 1942, Kawakaze akapinda mumabasa muNetherlands East Indies, kusanganisira kupinda kweTarakan Island, Balikpapan neMakassar. Pashure pokutaura nezvokupinda muJava, Kawakaze yakarwa neboka revarwi veAllied munguva yeHondo yeGungwa reJava, uye yakapiwa rubatsiro mukunyura kweAmerican destroyer, uye muBritish cruiser uye destroyer, kununura 35 vapukunyuki veBritish kubva mungarava mbiri. Muna April, Kawakaze yakabatsira pakurwisa Panay neNegros muPhilippines. Kubvira musi waMay 10, Kawakaze yakaendeswa kuIJN 1st Fleet ndokudzokera kuSasebo Naval Arsenal kunogadziriswa pakupera kwemwedzi. 