"The Japanese Decision for War" by Louis Morton, U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, December 1954

The article analyzes the situation in Japan in the lead up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It notes that in hindsight, Japan's decision to go to war with the U.S. might have seemed like an act of folly. In fact, from the Japanese perspective, the expectation was that the U.S. would be willing to negotiate for peace rather than fight a prolonged war.