Japan's highest authority, Emperor Hirohito, quietly sanctioned his country's top council's unified decision to wage war against the United States. In a solemn, behind-closed-doors meeting, the imperial council had deemed war necessary, and Hirohito's subtle nod of approval transformed the Pacific's landscape. As the council's unified determination solidified, Japan's military machinery roared to life, steamrolling toward a collision course with the sleeping giant across the sea.