At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Nenohi was assigned as flagship of Destroyer Division 21 of Destroyer Squadron 1 of the IJN 1st Fleet together with her sister ships , , and , and remained in Japanese home waters on anti-submarine patrol.
æt ðə tˈaɪm ʌvðɪ ɐtˈæk ˌɔn pˈɜːl hˈɑːɹbɚ, nɛnˈoʊhi wʌz ɐsˈaɪnd æz flˈæɡʃɪp ʌv dᵻstɹˈɔɪɚ dᵻvˈɪʒən twˈɛnti wˈʌn ʌv dᵻstɹˈɔɪɚ skwˈɑːdɹən wˈʌn ʌvðɪ ˌaɪdʒˌeɪˈɛn fˈɜːst flˈiːt təɡˌɛðɚ wɪð hɜː sˈɪstɚ ʃˈɪps , , ænd , ænd ɹᵻmˈeɪnd ɪn dʒˌæpənˈiːz hˈoʊm wˈɔːɾɚz ˌɔn ˈæntaɪsˈʌbmɚɹˌiːn pɐtɹˈoʊl.