You are missing the point Shadow Hawk.
In Classic it took only 1 ship surviving the Naval Battle to blockade Japan, Reinforcements could be sent in in only a couple of moves, and probably a few were already staged half way there. Japan’s ONLY option to attack those ships was air force, and FIGs were more expensive in Classic, and Japan had less income to start with.
There simply was no way for Japan to build enough FIGs fast enough to ever get ahead of US ships sailing across the Pacific.
But in Revised, that simply will not work. First off, the US is weaker against Japan than they were in Classic, so it takes longer for the US to build up a fleet that can chalenge Japan. Second, Japan has more income to start, and so can keep pace with the US easier. Third, to break Japan’s economic might, the US fleet can;t go straight for Japan, they ahve to go for the Islands first, giving Japan a chance to counter with sea AND land based air units. Fourth, if the US kills the Japan fleet with 1 ship left, Japan does not ahve to build FIGs to break the siege. They can build SUBs, perhaps a DST, and drop them right in the middle of the US ships. Now the US has to fight or flee. THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE IN CLASSIC.