Hi there, I've written about why Japan chose to attack Pearl Harbor here before:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/3dxlh4/what_did_japan_hope_to_accomplish_by_attacking/

And about Japanese logistical capabilities as well:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/aip710/what_was_the_japanese_plan_post_pearl_harbor_and/

and

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/80xu8w/did_the_japanese_seriously_consider_invading/

The short answer to your question is that Pearl Harbor was (barely) within reach of Japanese striking capabilities in late 1941; though there were pinprick attacks by Japanese submarines against California and Oregon in 1942, and the Aleutian islands of Attu and Kiska were invaded in June of 1942, the wider US mainland and especially the East Coast remained out of reach of Japan during the war. The reasons for that aren't especially complicated -- glance at a globe or a world map and you'll see that the Japanese fleet would have to transit either through the Panama Canal, which would have required wresting it from American control, or via the much longer route south of Cape Horn, before being able to come anywhere near the East Coast to threaten DC or NYC.