Despite the life and death struggle that the Japanese saw themselves engaging in, ultimately the war they embarked on against the United States was viewed as a limited war. After all no one of any consequence in the Japanese leadership thought their nation by itself could destroy and conquer such a vast area as the US and impose whatever settlement they wished. Instead they wanted the fighting to inflict such pain and destruction that the US would come to the conclusion that peace talks were the only practical alternative. And once the negotiations were completed and a treaty signed, normal relations and intercourse on diplomatic, economic and cultural matters would be restored.
This was the Japanese plan but the US of course would have none of it. They wanted revenge for Pearl Harbor and all the other humiliating defeats they suffered. And in the end they would settle for nothing less than unconditional surrender.
Now I have read much about the Japanese military strategy for the defensive phase of the Pacific War. The one that was supposed to inflict the levels of casualties that would force the US to the bargaining table. I have heard almost nothing though of the Japanese diplomatic strategy to convince the US to seek talks except that it would begin once the Americans initiated those discussions.
So I am wondering if anybody is aware of any initiatives (official ministry, unofficial ministry, private citizen, neutral third party etc…) during the period when the Japanese were in the ascendancy. And if so what was the position and the proposals the Japanese side had with respect to concluding a peace treaty. How did they envision the postwar war settlement of a victorious Japan to be like? Were there any Japanese foreign ministry studies or academic papers on that same subject. How about some biography or a memoir from an individual in a position to know?
On the US side were there any similar moves or considerations going on (yes I know the official position was NEVER, but with the US performance at this time not being at its best, there would certainly be at least a few low level planners being given the task of looking at the worst cases scenarios and coming up with options that would include talks)
And absent any of the above would anyone want to take a crack at drafting a peace proposal that Japan would likely have tried to present before the tide of battle made it quite obvious to all concerned that total defeat was just about upon them.