He wanted to leave the navy in order to pursue civil aviation career, however, Japan was about to enter the war with the United States and needed all available pilots.

[1] During the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Petty Officer Furuta flew as pilot Akagi's dive bomber squadron leader (Hikōtaichō), Lieutenant Takehiko Chihaya.

By the time the Akagi pilots' turn arrived, the leading strike formation, under Lieutenant Commander Kakuichi Takahashi, had already effectively sunk Hermes with numerous bomb hits.

On the way to the atoll, they were intercepted by a large group of Midway-based Marine fighters (six Grumman F4F Wildcats and 20 Brewster F2A Buffalos) led by Major Floyd B.

However, before the preparation could be finished, Akagi was hit and set ablaze by a bomb dropped by Lieutenant Dick Best during the USN dive bomber attack.

A USN Combat Air Patrol (CAP) of Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters intercepted the formation of dive bombers, but Furuta and Arima's division managed to escape into cumulonimbus clouds and approached the US carrier Enterprise unharmed.

The bomb, the first ever to hit Enterprise, penetrated the starboard forward corner of her number 3 elevator aft and sliced through to the third deck before detonating inside the ship.

After the attack, Lieutenant Arima instructed Furuta to remain north-west of the burning Enterprise to wait for the friendly Zero fighters in order to lead them back to the Japanese carriers.

[1][3][4] In late October 1942, Shōkaku was again dispatched to the Solomon Islands to support the Imperial Japanese Army ground assault on Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.

Since a simultaneous USN strike damaged the flight deck of Shōkaku, Furuta was forced to land on Zuikaku upon return to the IJN fleet.

[1][3][5] After the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Petty Officer Furuta was transferred to Usa Air Group in Ōita Prefecture on Kyushu and served as an instructor (together with his observer Lieutenant Arima).