Why did the japanese attack pearl harbour?

Reasons for the bombing of Pearl Harbor:

Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese for several reasons.

1. When the Japanese decided to attack America, they knew that almost all of the immediate forces were naval. Hence, they decided to bomb pearl harbor, as it held the majority of the American naval forces in the pacific. By bombing the navy, they managed to cripple any efforts at an attack force following them immediately to retaliate.

2. Geography. They also decided to attack pearl harbor, but i believe the final decision was not made until approximately 2 to 3 days before the attack. Other targets included San Francisco, large coastal cities, etc. They decided upon pearl harbor because it was closer to japan than the U.S., and they would have less distance to travel. The closer they came to the U.S. coast, the larger the chance of being detected, and forced to turn back. Also, if they attacked the mainland, they would have to pass Hawaii on the way back, and by that time a force would be following them.

3. Deception. While the Japanese navy was steaming towards Hawaii, their ambassadors in D.C. were trying to convince the government that japan would not attack. Unfortunately for them, some people were getting suspicious. The fleet decided to attack then, instead of risking the longer journey to the coast.