Knowledge of the time

Besides, how much did our people know about America before the war ?

They're lied to by the Announcements from Imperial General Headquarters! They never knew the true difference in our strengths!

Nope. Actually the Announcements started with the war, and the lies mostly starts after Midway. The first announcement was broadcasted at 6:00 on December 8, 1941 (JST).

Okay, so this is the numbers from a supplemental booklet of (Koudansha's) "King" Magazine published in Showa 10 (1935).

Army personnel of Japan, America & the Soviet Union - S.U.: 1,300,000 men - America: 320,000 men - Japan: 230,000 men

Military equipment of Japan, America & the Soviet Union - S.U.: approx. 3,000 units - America: approx. 3,000 units - Japan: approx. 1,400 units

Combined naval force of Japan, America & Britain

It still doesn't seems so optimistic for Japan

Actually, we lost in almost all department

And this is American data from Shashin Shuuhou published in January on the year WW2 begin Shashin Shuuhou: a weekly pictorial magazine. Published from 1938-1945.

American naval power

They went to war knowing all these ?

They seriously think they can win ?

And looking at the ships in planning, they're out of their mind

Battleships (14): New York, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Mississippi, Arkansas, Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee, Colorado, California, Arizona Aircraft carrier (5+1): Saratoga, Lexington, Ranger, Enterprise, Yorktown, Wasp (in construction) Cruiser (37): 10 Omaha class, 2 Pensacola class, 6 Augusta class, 2 Portland class, 8 Minneapolis class, 9 Brooklyn class Destroyers: 159 Submarine: 105 Battleships in construction / planning: New Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey, Washington, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Alabama, Indiana, South Dakota, Maine, Ohio, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Montana, Louisiana, Illinois (the original report also includes the reported displacement of planned ships)

Hard to make joke out of that material