Japanese cruisers sought a qualitative answer to numerical inferiority

Myōkō, Takao, Mogami, and Tone all exceeded their reported or nominal treaty displacements, with Mogami's initial 8,500-ton claim especially distant from the ship that emerged. Japanese planners could not turn a 5:3 numerical ratio into 10:7 simply by adding weight, but heavier cruisers promised a qualitative edge in individual engagements. The extra displacement supported the range, seakeeping, weapons, and survivability demanded by Pacific operations. Achieving an Italian-style advantage in that ocean would require roughly 12,000 to 13,000 tons rather than the lower level of excess practical in the Mediterranean.