Buildup to World war II
Prior to World War II, the U.S. And Japan were not on good terms. They had a longstanding political and economic rivalry due to the fact the US was a major source of power in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. This pre-war buildup of animosity between the US and Japan was mainly based on political and economic rivalries in the Pacific. Japan wanted to become a major source of power in this area too, and the US was nervous that this would interfere with their acquisition of resources. Japan wanted to expand into China, but the US didn't want them to because they thought this would make Japan too powerful. When Japan did invade China, The US placed a trade embargo on Japan. This trade embargo put a wedge between the two countries. Japan was also afraid of the US naval force in the pacific, and thought that defeating this force was necessary for securing their power. The placement of the trade embargo increased Japanese paranoia, and led to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, where they attempted to cripple the Pacific US naval fleet. The bombing of Pearl Harbor severed their relationship for the duration of the war (Dower). This hostility was expressed by both the U.S. and Japan and it brought America into the war (Pearl Harbor). Even though these went through this period of animosity, they are currently great allies (current history)