Considering how important the attack on Pearl Harbor was, Japan basically conceded that a failed attack on Pearl Harbor would mean they would lose the war before it even started, this doesn’t seem like a hindsight is 20/20 type question. They thought the entire war hung in the balance, yet they didn’t even plan an invasion this attack had to be a success, yet they didn’t even allocate enough resources for an invasion? It would have made sure that the attack was a success and the carriers would be taken care of(assuming the carriers were there like they thought). Heck, if they could overwhelm the base before the us troops knew what happened, they could even take the fleet for themselves, which would have completely changed the war in the pacific.
The attack itself was already at the edge of Japanese logistical capability, to the point where early plans seriously considered the notion of abandoning whichever carriers didn't have enough fuel to make it back. Trying to carry and sustain an invasion force that far was beyond Japanese capabilities, as these following previous posts will explore. More can always be said on the matter, so if anyone would like to provide further material as to why the Japanese didn't go for a landing, please go ahead!
Hey there,
Just to let you know, your question is fine, and we're letting it stand. However, you should be aware that questions framed as 'Why didn't X do Y' relatively often don't get an answer that meets our standards (in our experience as moderators). There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, it often can be difficult to prove the counterfactual: historians know much more about what happened than what might have happened. Secondly, 'why didn't X do Y' questions are sometimes phrased in an ahistorical way. It's worth remembering that people in the past couldn't see into the future, and they generally didn't have all the information we now have about their situations; things that look obvious now didn't necessarily look that way at the time.
If you end up not getting a response after a day or two, consider asking a new question focusing instead on why what happened did happen (rather than why what didn't happen didn't happen) - this kind of question is more likely to get a response in our experience. Hope this helps!