Japan's capable officers could recognize the country's weaknesses, but they had little time and limited means to correct them. By January 1941, Japan is portrayed as having a countdown to a war its leaders expect to begin within the year. Industrial and infrastructure limits prevent the armed forces from correcting every known weakness before that deadline. The decision for war is connected to economic pressure and a belief that fighting, even unsuccessfully, might preserve national culture and honor better than submission to American power.
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Japan's countdown to an expected losing war
Japan knows war is approaching, yet industrial and infrastructure limits leave it preparing for a conflict its leaders believe it may lose.