anti-comintern pact
A pact between Germany & Japan (25 Nov 1936) and later Germany, Italy & Japan (6 Nov 1937). Japan renounced it in 1939, not wanting to see it as an excuse to have to fight directly with european powers at war with Germany, but in light of German victories formed a Tripartite Pact a year later.
The anti-comintern pact was farcial, because Japan and the USSR did not go to war until the USSR felt victory was assured and grabbed territory from 8 Aug 1945.