Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan, on the other hand, is a typical island chain produced by comparatively recent volcanic action. It suffers from a shortage of rare elements. It is short of some minerals which are not rare: such as iron and coal. The lands it conquered have all the resources which Japan needed (and always will need). One example: Japan lacks iron. This is why traditional Japan makes such use of bamboo as a building material. But Western Australia has mountains virtually made of iron. This is where modern Japan gets most of its iron for making steel.