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Japan in WWII Facts & Worksheets

In WWII, Japan participated as one of the belligerent countries of the Axis powers and attacked Pearl Harbor.

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During World War II, the Empire of Japan was considered one of the belligerent countries. It was the last country to surrender, ultimately ending the global war.

See the fact file below for more information on Japan in WWII, or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Japan in WWII worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Summary of WWII

  • The Second World War, also known as World War II, was one of history’s most significant conflicts, involving almost every country on the planet. 
  • The main combatants from 1939 to 1945 were the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allied forces (France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, as well as China).
  • World War II started on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland under the leadership of the infamous dictator Adolf Hitler. 
  • The United Kingdom and France announced war against Germany. Known as Operation Barbarossa, the Soviet Union and Germany went to war on June 22, 1941, with the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
  • At the same time, Japan was already at war against China on December 7 and 8, 1941. The country had also attacked American, Dutch, and even British military bases throughout Asia, launching the Pacific War.
  • The Second World War is considered to be the most deadly conflict in history, with 60-80 million casualties, which included 6 million Jews and minority groups killed by the Nazis in the Holocaust.
  • During the war, 50-55 million civilians were thought to have been killed, while the combatants incurred between 21 and 25 million deaths.
  • Millions more were hurt, and even more cities, towns, homes and businesses were destroyed. A summary of World War II shows the clash of great powers seeking to demonstrate their superiority as well as the desire to gain power and resources.

Early Japanese Involvement

  • Japanese imperialism resulted in wars with China (1894–1955), Russia (1904–1905), American and Dutch territories, as well as the invasion and occupation of Korea in 1910, and northeastern China in 1931. 
  • Japan attacked American forces in Hawaii and the Philippines in December 1941, and occupied European colonial possessions in Southeast Asia.
  • In addition, a clash at Beijing’s Marco Polo Bridge in July 1937 sparked a new Sino-Japanese war. 
  • After Japanese forces captured the capital of the Chinese Nationalist Party, Nanjing (Nanking), or Guomindang (Kuomintang), in December, they carried out a six-week massacre and rape known as the Nanjing Massacre.
  • By June 1942, Japanese conquests had already colonized much of Southeast Asia as well as the western Pacific. 
  • Under the colonization of the Japanese, prisoners of war and enslaved civilians were subjected to forced labor for their captors in harsh and often inhumane conditions.
  • A series of land battles were fought by Japan against China, Burma, and New Guinea. Despite early successes, Japan’s resources were stretched to the limit. 
  • America, on the other hand, was able to mobilize massive economic resources to ramp up its efforts, commencing with amphibious landings in the Pacific.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

  • When Japan faced severe shortages of oil and other natural resources, it decided to target the United States and British forces in Asia and seize Southeast Asia’s resources, motivated by a desire to dethrone the US as the dominant Pacific power.
  • The United States established Pearl Harbor as the primary base for its Pacific Fleet in May 1940.
  • At 4,000 miles from the Japanese mainland, America did not anticipate it would attack Hawaii and Pearl Harbor was largely defenseless – which made it an easy target.
  • On December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers appeared in the skies over Pearl Harbor. They were known as kamikazes, which were suicide bombers, because they didn’t have enough fuel to return to Japan.
  • The United States military was utterly unprepared for the devastating surprise attack, and the event changed the course of World War II, particularly in the Pacific war.
  • At first, the Pearl Harbor attack appeared to be a success for Japan. 
  • Its bombers attacked all eight US battleships, sinking four and damaging four others, as well as destroying or damaging over 300 aircraft and killing over 2,400 Americans at at the base.
  • However, the Pearl Harbor attack failed to achieve its goal of completely destroying the Pacific Fleet. The Japanese bombers missed oil tanks, ammunition depots, and repair facilities, and there was no US aircraft carrier present during the attack.
  • This failure came back to haunt the Japanese in June 1942, when US forces won a major victory in the Battle of Midway, conclusively turning the tide of the Pacific war.

Japanese Loss

  • As war raged on in the west, the United States concentrated a lot of its fighting force in the Pacific to defeat Japan and help the invaded countries revive their independence.
  • Allied forces joined as well, and they began to slowly creep on Japanese territories while periodically bombing the mother country of Japan. Because of these, Japan’s forces were dwindling, and supplies became more difficult to transport.
  • By the end of 1945, Japan’s victory had been turned into defeat, and the Allies were closing in on the Japanese home islands. When Japan advanced, the Allies launched massive missile strikes against major Japanese cities, including Tokyo. 
  • On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb named “Little Boy” over the industrial city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people were killed instantly by the explosion, and tens of thousands more died later from radiation exposure.

Japanese Surrender and Aftermath

  • Japan was devastated after World War II ended. With the exception of Kyoto, all major cities, industries, and transportation networks were severely damaged. 
  • For several years, there was a severe food shortage. Japan effectively lost all territory gained after 1894. 
  • Furthermore, the Soviet Union occupied the Kurile Islands, while the United States controlled the Ryukyu Islands, which included Okinawa. Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972.
  • Japan’s war machine was destroyed, and war crimes trials were held. Many military officers committed suicide after Japan surrendered, and hundreds more were executed for war crimes. Emperor Showa (who was known as Hirohito while he was still alive), on the other hand, was not declared a war criminal.
  • The victorious allies imposed international control over Japan. U.S. General Douglas MacArthur was the supreme commander in charge of Japan’s reconstruction. 
  • A new constitution took effect in 1947, and the Emperor of Japan was stripped of all political and military power. Human rights were also established, as was universal suffrage. Japan was also barred from leading a war or maintaining an army, as prohibited by the new constitution. 
  • On May 3, 1947, Japan’s postwar constitution became official, and Japanese citizens elected a new legislature. In 1951, the United States and its allies signed a peace treaty in San Francisco, formally ending the war.

Japan in WWII Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Japan in WWII across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Japan in WWII, which was one of the belligerent countries of the Axis powers and attacked Pearl Harbor.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  • Japan in WWII Facts
  • Axis vs. Allied
  • War Timeline
  • Imperial Japan
  • Imperial Soldier
  • The War Minister
  • Power Struggle
  • Imperial Territories
  • War Atrocities
  • The Battle of Midway
  • The Costs of War
  • Japan Today

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Japan join World War II?

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour to disable the United States forces for an extended period. They wanted to do this so they could establish a Southeast Asian empire and build defensive buffer zones. This was something they had been planning for a long time.

What side did Japan choose during World War II?

Japan chose the Axis Powers, a group of countries led by Germany, Italy, and Japan that recognized each other’s continental European dominance and East Asian domination. Five other European states joined the Axis alliance during World War II.

Why was Japan so powerful during World War II?

Japan had the best military in the Far East. They also had a lot of people who were trained and had modern weapons. In addition, Japan had many naval and air bases that would allow them to control more of the area and protect their interests.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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