“After successfully executing operations in the Southeast and Southwest Pacific by Spring 1942, what should Japan have done next?” “I can go wild for six months… after that, I don't expect any success.” Unconfirmed quote attributed to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet. Setting the stage Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is believed to have predicted the suffering that they would hit Japan, and indeed he was said to have argued heavily against awakening a “sleeping giant.” Yamamoto recognized the shortcomings of Japan's war strategy even before the shots were fired first strikes? The planners of the first attack on Pearl Harbor, including Admiral Fukodome, argue that the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was as successful as possible.saying that the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was as successful as possible. The United States needed two full years to begin a significant offensive in the Pacific 1 pg 83 If their assessment was correct, and many will argue that it was, the question arises as to whether a Japanese war strategy could have led to a conclusion. positive of the war for Japan. After a cursory examination of the recurring theme of Japanese military arrogance, I will argue that the three most compelling strategies the Japanese could have pursued in the spring of 1942 were: one – consolidate the major resource gains already made; two – immediately start planning a strong anti-submarine warfare campaign; and three: coordinate significant operations with Japan's Axis partners, particularly in the Indian Ocean and Southwest Asia theaters of conflict. ...here their interests were truly greater, not only could they keep the Allies at bay for a longer period of time, but perhaps they could actually end the war on favorable terms. Failing to cooperate with Axis partners, failing to learn any lessons about warfare from other theaters, and failing to logically prioritize one's own interests was a combination of strategic mistakes that proved catastrophic for the Japanese in World War II. “Eagle Against the Sun,” by Ronald H. Spector, Random House, 1985.2. “Kaigun,” by David C. Evans and Mark R. Peattie, Naval Institute Press, 1997.3. “A World at Arms”, by Gerhard L. Weinberg, Cambridge University Press, 4.1994. “The Pacific War Companion,” edited by Daniel Marston, Osprey Publishing, 2005.5. “A War to Win,” Williamson Murray and Allan R. Millet, Harvard University Press, 2000.