The big-ship, big-gun approach is interpreted as a deterrence policy as well as a way to fight a battle. If Japan could crew only a limited number of ships, enlarging each hull offered a way to increase the apparent strength of that force. Building ships comparable to everyone else's would let a richer opponent answer by adding one more. A much larger individual ship would force that opponent to consider a more difficult and expensive response. The argument concerns the deterrent effect of the fleet's appearance and capabilities.
Notable Point · 31:49-32:39
Japan's big ships as a deterrent
An oversized battleship could deter opponents by making each Japanese hull harder to match when crew numbers limited the size of the fleet.