What you’re saying is all correct. Typically, people do choose KGF or KJF, unless Japan has awful first turn rolls or leaves another opening and the US changes plans.
My Japanese play puts the emphasis on Russia but I also take advantage of my battleships in the Red Sea/Indian Ocean to trade land in Africa and take potshots at Allied soldiers. The UK’s farflung territories like Australia, New Zealand, and Madagascar should be taken quickly. Rarely can Japan not afford these small, early diversions from the Soviets.
If you’re looking for Axis team tactics, I believe the most important is positioning Japan’s fighters well. Early on, I keep my fighters around Frindo to support a German stack in Ukraine or Egypt depending on Allied moves. Later, I like my fighters in z34. From here, they can reach Novo, Kazakh, Russia, Caucuses, West Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe, Germany, and Karelia. They can reach most everywhere that Japan will want to attack or help defend. This tactic also breaks the the UK-US double because if the UK suicides into, say Germany, the Japanese fighters swoop in and turn the odds against a US followup.
