6. Myth: Japan Declared War Before the Attack
Contrary to the belief that Japan declared war prior to attacking Pearl Harbor, the Japanese government intended to deliver a declaration of war to the United States before the assault. However, due to delays in decoding the 5,000-word document, the declaration was not delivered until after the attack had commenced. This miscommunication led to diplomatic tensions and is detailed in the State Department archives (japantimes.co.jp).
