The Japanese Navy's limited Atlantic reach

What did the Imperial Japanese Navy do in the Atlantic?

Very little direct fighting, but submarines and blockade runners reached France and the possible long-range threat still tied down Allied forces near South America.

The Imperial Japanese Navy did little in the Atlantic itself because its main operations lay in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Japanese blockade runners and submarines nevertheless reached France, making the route between theatres historically significant. The Royal Navy and U.S. Navy also retained substantial forces on the South America Station in case Japan attempted a longer-range move into the Atlantic. The strategic effect therefore exceeded the scale of direct Japanese combat operations in that ocean.