Very good review CC.
First off, Japan will have only ONE tranny on J1 against most oppoents here (UK killing that TRN off Kwang is pretty much a given).
Second, if you send your TRN north, you are going to need to send screening ships along. If you also hit Pearl, that means most of the UK fleet is still going to be left alive to harass you on turn 2, and possibly beyond.
Third, if you do not make strong moves on Russia early, Japan will not only not be helping to weaken Russia in their fight agaisnt Germany, but Russia is also likely to lose Manch, Kwang, and FIC in short order (your TRN’s are bound for Alaska, so all you have are startign units for Asia… and Russia, the US and UK can chew those up by the end of Turn 2, the same turn you land in Alaska.
Lastly, once you stage loaded TRN en route to Alaska, a few ARM built by US in US1, and your landing force is smashed before you ever build your IC (or the US waits, let’s you build it, THEN takes it from you, giving them a ratehr interesting series of tactical uses against what is now a VERY crippled Japan.
Read through the Revised forums. This has been discussed at length… and Japan attacking the US is a viable strat in ONLY one case… and that is a very specific goal about 4-6 turns in and relates mostly to Germany strategy. And even then the value of it is questionable.