In 1926, Michinomiya Hirohito ascended to the throne as the Emperor of Japan after the passing of his father. As Emperor, he held the position of supreme commander of the Japanese military and wielded significant political and cultural influence in Japan. While the extent of his involvement in the decision to attack Pearl Harbor remains a subject of debate, it is clear that he was the public face of Japan's military buildup and expansionist policies. Following the war, Hirohito was not executed and was allowed to continue his rule during the American occupation of Japan. 

In 1941, Isoroky Yamamoto was the Commander-in-chief of the combined military forces of Japan. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest military strategists in history and is considered to be the mastermind behind the attack on Pearl Harbor. Yamamoto received his education at Harvard University and spent several years working at the Japanese embassy in Washington DC. During his time in America, Yamamoto studied and gained extensive knowledge about American politics and military capabilities, making him a valuable asset to Japanese military leadership. At first, Yamamoto was opposed to a war with the US as he believed that Japan would not withstand a prolonged conflict with the Americans. However, following the oil embargo, Yamamoto agreed that the best alternative would be to attack the US, reducing their morale and military capacity to interfere with Japanese military ambitions in the Pacific. He orchestrated the attack and believed that an airstrike on specifically chosen military targets would yield the best results for Japan. 

In order to launch the airstrike on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese navy used its entire fleet of six aircraft carriers, which included the Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, and Zuikaku ships. In total, these ships carried over 400 aircrafts that would then be used to drop precision bombs and torpedoes to the military targets at Pearl Harbor. In addition to the carriers, Japan also used battleships and submarines as part of their support forces to counter any potential resistance from the American military. 

In preparation for the planned airstrike on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto and the Japanese Navy assembled a formidable force of over 350 aircraft. These aircraft included the A6M “zero”, the D3A “val”, and the B5N “kate”, each with specific missions to carry out during the attack. The A6M fighters were tasked with initiating the surprise attack due to their agility and speed. Pilots of the D3A were tasked with precision bombing of American naval targets. The B5N torpedo bombers had the unique responsibility of dropping torpedoes from an altitude of about 1,500 meters. These torpedoes were specially designed not to detonate until making a direct hit with their intended target due to the shallow waters of the harbor.  The Japanese Navy's use of these various aircraft types proved highly effective in inflicting significant damage on the American Pacific Fleet.