A Hawaiian invasion would have changed the war

What if Japan had followed Pearl Harbor with an invasion of Hawaii?

Capturing the base would have been strategically severe for the United States, but it required an enormous additional amphibious operation.

An invasion of Hawaii would have made the attack resemble the decisive result Japan wanted. Capturing Pearl Harbor would force the United States to prioritize retaking Hawaii instead of treating Europe as the unchallenged first theater. That outcome required Japan to carry, land, supply, and sustain several divisions after the carrier raid rather than merely damage ships. Even sinking American carriers in port would not provide the troops needed to occupy the islands. Their wooden flight decks and aviation fuel could make them constructive total losses, but the amphibious and logistical problem would remain far larger than the air strike itself.