The military strategy that characterized U.S. involvement in World War II against Japan was known as Island Hopping. This approach involved capturing strategically important islands in the Pacific, allowing U.S. forces to establish bases closer to Japan while bypassing heavily fortified positions. Implemented in 1943, the strategy aimed to weaken Japanese defenses and disrupt supply lines. The ultimate goal was to make a direct assault on the Japanese mainland feasible, ultimately contributing to Japan's defeat and the end of the war.