Japanese wargames allowed junior officers to break rules, while inconvenient results were altered, ignored, or reset. As chief of the naval staff, Nagano was responsible for ensuring that plans received an honest test. If subordinates could not keep the exercises rigorous, he needed to supervise them himself. Wargaming has little value when commanders refuse to accept outcomes that challenge their preferred plans.
Notable Point · 13:18-14:11
Why flawed wargames were Nagano's responsibility
Japanese exercises bent rules and reset unfavourable outcomes, a staff failure the video ultimately places at Nagano's door.