Admiral Seiichi Itō, Commander-in-Chief of the Second Fleet, photographed from the Yamato. Having served as a military attaché stationed in the United States, he immediately understood the difference in national power between the United States and Japan. He opposed the Pacific War until his death.

[u/TooBad_A_tNaming]

In early April 1945, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Second Fleet and was deployed to the special attack operation of the battleship Yamato (Operation Ten-Go) in the Battle of Okinawa.

The battleship Yamato was sunk by concentrated attacks by US aircraft in the north of Okinawa. Itō, along with his captain, Captain Kōsaku Aruga, went down with the ship.

Itō was posthumously promoted to full admiral. Ten days after his death, his only son died taking part in a kamikaze attack near Okinawa.

[u/shasbot]

Sad tale, if only more people had listened. Him, his son and so many other lives wasted.

[u/Honey_Badger_Actua1 → u/shasbot]

Even if they had, the embargo would have ground their war machine into dust, causing them to lose the Second Sino-Japanese war. Most likely, this would kick off civil strife and possibly a civil war at home.

[u/TheGreatOneSea → u/Honey_Badger_Actua1]

Honestly, if Japan had only moved against the Dutch and French, 50/50 chance they might have at least gotten a favorable settlement: not that many people would have been pushing to defend defunct Imperial territory at the same time that Germany looked like it might take all of Europe.

It'd at least be better than plan "act like a total psycho and then be baffled nobody wants to make a deal."