Interesting about the Jan. 24, 1941 letter quoted from Adm. Yamamoto. I had always seen him described as relatively non-imperialistic, non-aggressive, liking the USA from his time here etc., but this sounds extremely bellicose and aggressive:
“Any time war breaks out between Japan and the United States I will not be content merely to capture Guam and the Philippines and occupy Hawaii and San Francisco I am looking forward to dictating peace to the United States in the White House at Washington.”
— Admiral Isoroku Yamamato, Jan. 24, 1941 —
If that’s the ‘real’ Yamamoto then I’m really glad we shot his plane down near Rabaul.....
(actually I’d be glad anyway but this letter makes it sweeter)
The way I understand it is Yamamoto’s letter is being taken way out of context and possibly edited to change the meaning. He knew what the result would be if war with the U.S. was prolonged. He was saying in his letter that he didn’t believe a strike at Pearl Harbor would knock us out of the war at one punch, but that to achieve victory it would be necessary to invade the mainland and actually enter Washington. Yamamoto had lived in the U.S. and knew the absurdity of such a scenario. So what he said in the letter was heavily ironic.
I know others can confirm or correct my recollection on this.