The Pacific War was between the Japanese and Allies that lasted for three years resulting in the surrender of Japan. On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack injured over 1,000 Americans that resulted in over 2,000 American casualties. Japan also invaded Thailand and British possessions. This was a turning point in World War II and Japan’s defeat was inevitable. The United States were far more superior in all aspects. However, Japan waged war with the United States in 1941 because of the heavy influence of Westerners, which lead to an adoption of a political culture of ultranationalism, militarism, and imperialism dating back to the Meiji Restoration. Japanese like various East Asian countries adopted a foreign isolationist policy but the United States arrived at the Uraga Bay in 1953 near the shogunal capital and demanded that Japan opened for navigation and trade. The Shogunate defenseless agreed and this signified the reversal of the long-established shogunate policy of excluding foreigners. This marked an end to the isolationist foreign policy and Japan began to modernize due to the Meiji Restoration.
