Well, in order to get the oil, the Japs had to go to war with the USA. The Philippines were US Territory then.
Read my link. http://www.patriot.dk/pearlharbour.html
Both Toland (there’s only one l, sorry) and Strom believed and had proof that FDR LED them into the war.
Intercepted messages clearly show US and British intelligence knew the Japanese code, and the “East Wind, Rain” message was well known and intercepted on Nov 19th (I said 20th so I was a day off). Yet both Admiral Kimmel and General Short in Hawaii were NEVER told about it, and both were court-martialed.
Tojo was the leader of the War Cabinet, so had much influence. Admiral Yamamoto was against fighting the USA, but bowed to the Emperor’s decision to approve the War Cabinet’s plan. Yamamoto did appoint the officers who drew up the plan to attack Pearl Harbor, but didn’t want to pull the trigger unless the US carriers were there (they were NOT on Dec 7th). Even then he thought it was reckless gamble.
Tojo was too sure of himself and thought America was weak morally, and Japanese Bushido would carry the victory. Yamamoto had actually gone to graduate school in the USA.
I was very fortunate during the early 1980s when I was in Australia, to visit many Pacific islands were we had bases; American Samoa, Fiji, and also of course spend a couple weeks on Hawaii.
Sounds like a Management issue - same as Patton (attack Russia) at end of WWII.
As for the Philippines, the Japs supply chain could have supported a more limited Pacific theater AND FDR may not have had the same resolve to fight the Japs that he got from the American population after the U.S. itself was attached at Pearl Harbor