Yamato's firepower versus a faster 16-inch battleship

Would Japan be better served by building the Yamato class as carriers?

Replacing the whole program with carriers would leave Japan short of modern battleships. The alternatives are Yamato's protection and firepower or a faster 16-inch design that could be built in greater numbers.

Japan's most recent battleships before the Yamato program were the Nagato class, so replacing the program with carriers would leave a gap in modern capital ships. Fleet of Oceans defends Yamato's armor and firepower as worth the loss of several knots. Alex Clarke prefers a ship with twelve 16-inch guns and a speed of roughly 28 to 30 knots. That alternative could keep closer company with the carriers and, alongside the Kongos, strengthen their surface protection. It could also be built more quickly and in greater numbers than the 18-inch design. The disagreement concerns which battleship best serves Japan's fleet, with both accepting the need for new battleships.