Figure 1.--One of Japan's many weakenesses in the Pacific War was that it was not self-sufficent in food production. Not only was Japanese agriculture not efficient, but there was simply not enough arable land to support the growing population in Japan's industrial cities. This magic lattern slide from the 1920s shows two boys in a rice field. Acquiring food producing areas would be a major Japoanese goal in World War II.

Many of Japan's strengths had offsetting weaknesses. While Japan was the only industrial power in Asia, its industrial caability was a fraction of that of the other belgerants and pailed in comarison to the huge industrial base. This meant that while Japan might win a short war, it has little chance of winning a long, drawn out war of attrition. This was especially the case of a naval war which relied heavily on industrial power. The limited industrial also mean that the Japanese soldier fought the War with the worse weaponry of any power. Japan also had only a fraction of the technological capability of America and Britain. The Japanese might have done well if the War was fought with the same weapons that Japan and America brought to the table in December 1941. But it was not. The Japanese lagely did fight the War with the same weapons, but America did not. America with its massive industrial and technoloigical capability not only could replace losses, but could introduce many advancd weaons that the Japanese could not match. America with its massive industrial and technoloigical capability not only could replace losses, but could introduce many advanced weapons that the Japanese could not match. And Japan had not way at striking at the war making capity of the United States. They assumed that the United States also lacked the capability of striking at the Home Islands, becuse America did not have that capacity in 1941. A compliant population not asking questions was an advantage as long as Japanese leaders made correct decisions. But of course the decisions they made were disasterous. Overall, Japan had perhaps the most incompetent military leadership of all the major belligerants. The most respected commander was Adm. Yamaoto. His Pearl Harbor plan worked well against the unprepared Americans. Yet it was the same Yamaoto who planned perhaps the most incoherent naval battle plan in history--Midway. Japanese Army commanders exhibited little tactical subtelty. They were prone to ordering Banzai attacks that proved suicidal against a modern military force. In major battles, Japanese casualties exceed American casualties by a ratio of 10 to 1. The large Japanese Army proved of little use in fighting a naval war and air war. And their German ally which they believed had defeated the Red Army proved to have failed disasterously. Japan's wood and paper cities were particularly vulnerable to stragegic bombing. Not only was Japan's industry indequate to support war with major industrial powers, but the country was not self sufficent in food production. Japan's agricultural sector was not only inefficent, but the country simply did not have sufficent arable land to feed the workers in its growing industrial cities. For this, Japan had to import food. But of all Japan's weaknesses, the most important was the almost total lack of critcal natural resources. They obtained some resources in Korea and Manchuria, but not what they needed for war with America and no oil. And it was not just a matter that there was very little on the Home Islands, but having to import food, metals, oil, and other material made them vulnerable to a maritime interdiction campaign. The lack of oil was by far the grearest weeakness, but oil was only one of gthe mny critical raw materials Japan lacked. Japan focused on naval war ships. Its maru fleet (merchant marine) was barely adequate in peace time, but was grossly inadequate for war. And this was before the American submarine force began to systematically destroy the marus.

Created: 5:55 AM 2/4/2018
Last updated: 1:44 AM 12/3/2023