The Pacific range problem for Japanese destroyers

Was a shorter range acceptable because the Imperial Japanese Navy was essentially a one-ocean navy?

Not entirely; the Pacific's scale still made range essential, and short-legged destroyers required more tankers or more frequent refueling.

Operating in the Pacific demanded endurance even for a navy concentrated in one theater. Limited destroyer range increased dependence on tankers and frequent refueling. That support burden reduced the freedom promised by high speed and heavy torpedo armament. A seemingly acceptable paper specification became an operational logistics constraint.