from what i have read it seems that Japan's main hope relied on a hope that if Japan could overrun US possesions in the pacific and destroy her fleet..the US would go to the table. They knew that they could never defeat the US in a prolonged war...and they also knew it was not feasable for them to invade the west coast.
Interestingly enough the top brass in the Japanese military believed their own false propaganda and believed we were a lazy, weak, spoiled people...and once things started going bad the people would go against the war...and BAM the wars over.
Guess they didn't expect our other traits...getting revenge and fighting back!
anybody have anything else to add?