This article is interesting. It acknowledges the massive disparity in industrial capacity meant Japan could never have imposed terms on Washington, but argues that by showing more strategic discipline (not attacking the Western Allies while still stuck in a quagmire in China, concentrating resources instead of overextending them l with ultimately futile campaigns such as Midway, the Solomon Islands, and the Aleutians), holding and heavily fortifying it's defensive perimeter, avoiding the attack on Pearl Harbor in favor of trying to weaken the American Pacific Fleet with aircraft and submarine attacks as it steamed to the Philippines after it is captured and then forcing it into a decisive battle, and waging unrestricted submarine warfare against American ships, Japan could have avoided defeat by gradually sapping American will.