A command structure assembled for the plan, not the team

Was the Japanese command structure for the operation pressure-tested and reviewed beforehand?

No; it brought together staffs that had not worked as a team, so Japan especially needed clearer authority and dedicated coordination rather than overloaded commanders.

The Japanese formation had not matured as a working team: commanders and staffs came from different ports and backgrounds to execute a plan largely written by others. The United States could rotate fleet organizations, rest them, train them, and return established command teams to operations. Japan's circumstances made a clear senior commander and dedicated coordinating staff more necessary, yet its structure concentrated responsibilities instead.