Generalist Japanese officers commanded enlisted specialists

Imperial Japanese enlisted titles could foreground aviation or another specialty, while warrant officers and lower ranks supplied the specialist expertise. Commissioned officers could develop a specialism, but their training emphasized becoming capable officers at each level and commanding beyond that field. That distinction helps explain why Chūichi Nagumo could be placed over the Kido Butai despite not being a naval-aviation specialist. Whether he was the best choice remains debatable, but the Japanese command system expected him to be able to lead such a force.