How much could opinions vary between Imperial Japanese Navy ships and within one cruiser?
Short answerEnormously: hundreds of people served aboard one ship, and each person could hold or express several different views.
NotesA ship's company of roughly 800 to 1,000 people could not hold one uniform opinion. Individual sailors could also hold several positions at once and change how they expressed them according to the audience. Treating a cruiser or the Imperial Japanese Navy as a single speaking actor therefore hides disagreement within crews and institutions. One person's statement cannot safely stand for every member of the ship's company.