 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Munguva yeHondo yeChipiri yeChina neJapan muna 1937, mauto eJapan akapinda nechepakati peChina. Uyewo, muna 1938-1939 Japan yakaedza kutora ndima yeSoviet Russia neMongolia, asi yakarasikirwa zvakakomba ona Hondo yeLake Khasan, Hondo dzeKhalkhin Gol. Panguva ino, ukama neHurumende Dzakabatana hwakanga hwava pakaderera zvikuru, uye nyika dzakawanda dzakanga dzarambidza Japan kuti isashandise zviwanikwa zvayo. Nokudaro chiito chechiuto chaidikanwa kuwana kuwana kwacho, uye naizvozvo Japan yakarwisa Pearl Harbor, ichiunza United States kuHondo yeNyika II. Ichishandisa kufambira mberi kwayo kukuru kworuzivo rwokugadzira zvinhu mundege dzomugungwa nedzidziso dzayo dzazvino uno dzokurwa kwamakungwa namakungwa, Japan yakawana kumwe kwokuwedzera kwokukurumidza zvikurusa kwomugungwa munhau. Pakasvika 1942 Japan yakanga yakunda rutivi rukuru rweEast Asia nePacific, kubatanidza kumabvazuva kweChina, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, rutivi rweNew Guinea uye zviwi zvizhinji zvePacific Ocean. Kungofanana nokubudirira kwekupedzisira kweJapan mukugadzirwa kwezvinhu uye kukunda pamusoro peUmambo hweRussia kwaionekwa somuenzaniso pakati penyika dzisina kufambira mberi dzeAsia-Pacific, vaJapan vakashandisa izvi uye vakakurudzira pakati pevarwi vavo chinangwa chokugadzira pamwe chete Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere inopesana neEurope. Urongwa uhwu hwakaita kuti maJapan awane rutsigiro kubva kuvanhu vomunyika yacho panguva yaakakunda, zvikurukuru muIndonesia. Zvisinei, United States yakanga ine hwaro hwakasimba zvikuru hwemauto nehwemabhizimisi uye yakakunda Japan, ichibvisa kukunda kwayo ndokudzorera vagari vayo kuJapan. 