Japanese fleet decryption would not provide a quick answer

Could the Japanese striking force intercept and translate American spotting reports?

Probably not in time; Japan had good decryption capabilities, but not the necessary real-time capacity deployed with this fleet.

Japan's broader decryption ability did not mean that Kido Butai could intercept and understand American scout reports in time. The deployed fleet lacked the capacity to translate the traffic quickly enough to recover surprise or resolve the tactical situation. Shore-based cryptanalytic skill could not automatically provide real-time operational intelligence at sea. The limiting factor was the capability carried with the striking force.