During months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington, D.C., neither side budged, making war inevitable. Japan wanted to bring the United States into the war, so they began planning their infamous attack. The Japanese military envisioned a large empire that would cover most of Southeast Asia and the islands of the South Pacific. The Philippine Islands are located in the center of that domain, which was American territory at the time. Military bases with thousands of US soldiers were stationed on these islands. The Japanese predicted that it was only a matter of time before America entered the war. Therefore, they decided that surprise would be their best weapon against the United States. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was a huge tragedy for the United States and caused the United States to enter World War II, but it brought more consequences to Japan than it ever could have been