The Japanese had signed an agreement with the Nazis hoping to gain leverage and a position of parity against the western powers. However, they did not anticipate being associated with the country that had some of the worst propaganda, and this move had grave diplomatic consequences, which severely limited their flexibility in negotiations.
The agreement between Japan and Germany was supposed to give Japan leverage against the United States during World War II, but it ultimately limited their diplomatic flexibility as they were lumped in with people who had some of the worst press in the western democracies.
This episode explores how the Second World War is perceived in countries that were under colonial rule during that time, particularly in Asia. While the West perceives the war as a battle between good versus evil, those under colonial rule might have viewed it as two bad guys fighting each other.