Could Japanese civilians and servicemen see defeat coming?

Was belief in continued victory confined to Japanese high command, or did civilians and servicemen also think the war could still be won?

Some probably noticed the shrinking defensive perimeter, but information control and limited geographical knowledge complicated that judgment. Believing the war was going badly did not necessarily mean believing it was lost or acting accordingly.

Japanese civilians needed enough geographical knowledge to recognize that the fighting was moving closer to the home islands. Propaganda and information control limited what they knew, while secrecy and contemporary ideas about honor complicated their interpretation of events. Even someone who believed the war was going badly could still believe victory was possible. Recognizing deterioration also did not establish whether that person would act on the belief.