Pearl Harbor: The View From Japan (1994)

Synopsis:
On December 7, 1941, explosions rocked Pearl Harbor and altered the course of history. Now, meet the man who executed the attack. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was a military genius who brought modern warfare into the aerial age. Although opposed to attacking the United States and "awakening the sleeping giant," Admiral Yamamoto dedicated his life to the battle that devastated U.S. morale and forced America into World War II.

In an interesting historical departure, this fascinating documentary analyzes the attack on Pearl Harbor from the Japanese point of view and focuses on Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese military mastermind who (though bitterly opposed) planned the attack on the U.S. fleet anchored in Hawaii. If history is written by the victors, this view of the events of December 7, 1941, fills an important gap in the historical narrative of World War II.

It is somewhat mis-titled, for it actually briefly covers the entire ill-fated Pacific campaign. It has a strong focus on Admiral Yamamoto himself--his foresight and vision as a military leader, and his reluctance to enter into a fight with the U.S. It is interesting to hear a few words from the Japanese perspective, yet it seems that is all you get--a few words. There is little groundwork laid which might explain more fully Japan's reasons for attacking us.
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