First off, let me say that there is no such thing as a strategy for Japan that does not take into account everything that happens in Germany, and vise-versa. There is no Japan or Germany, they do not exist. Only the Axis has independent reality.
That having been said, let us look at the problems facing Japan on Turn One:
Soviet Far East
Yakut
China
Sinkiang
India
Alaska
Hawaii
Australia
Since it’s extremely unlikely that all of these can be taken on Turn One, it’s clear that some prioritization must be done. If the Axis is pursuing a double whammy on Russia, then perhaps the Russian territories should take priority. If the Axis is pursuing an anti-british plan in some sort of defense of Fortress Europe, then India and Australia become valuable targets. Finnally, if the Axis players have been hit in the head by too much shrapnel and decide on some ridiculously ludicrous anti-USA program, then Alaska, Hawaii, China and Sinkiang become priority targets.
In my local group, I tend to be the most experienced Japanese Player. I enjoy playing Japan because our group usually ignores Japan in hopes of a quick win over Germany, allowing me to flex the muscles of an unstoppable Nihon Teikoku Juggernaut all over their weak candy asses.
Anyway, this is my standard war plan, assuming the USA does not build up in the Pacific:
TURN ONE: Build Factory and Transport, Save 2IPC’s
Attack India from Burma,
Attack China from Kwangtung and Manchuria.
Attack Hawaiian fleet with 1 Carrier, 2 Battleships, Two Planes (one from Phillipenes), submarine and bomber.
Variants: Use transport from Philipenes to support attack on India if sea zone is clear. Use transport from Japan to occupy Soviet Far East if it’s abandoned. Otherwise, transports reinforce Burma or Kwangtung with four infantry.
Manchuria is deliberately vacated to lure the Soviet army into the range of the returning Battleships and carrier fighters from Hawaii.
TURN TWO: Build 3 tanks, 1 Transport and 3 INF.
Attack Manchuria with full naval support, unless a) Russians withdraw towards Moscow for some reason, or b) USA builds naval presence on their West Coast.
Attack Sinkiang from Burma
Occupy Persia
VARIANTS:
Occupy Soviet Far East if Possible.
Finish off US Pacific Fleet unless they retreated to Panama on US Turn One.
TURN THREE: build tanks and factory for Manchuria.
Attack Either Caucasus or Kazakh from Persia.
Attack Novosibirsk from Sinkiang
Attack Yakut from Manchura, blitzing into Evenki if possible.
Occupy Soviet Far East if it hasn’t already been occupied.
VARIANTS: Send 2 Infantry into Persia on turn two, so they can occupy both Syria and Kazakh, assuming the UK concentrates their forces in Africa.
At this point, Japan will collect 42-44 IPC’s, half or over half of the 84 IPC’s needed for an Axis economic victory.
STUMBLING BLOCKS:
• A USA naval program in the Pacific can disrupt japanese operations, at the cost of allowing Germany to conquer Africa and attack Russia much more successfully.
• A British Factory Built on turn one in India can prove to be a thorn in the side of the Emperor’s inevitable victory. Again, this comes with a cost of a successful German Defense of Fortress Europe, a Romellian Africa and threatens an early Russian Collapse in the East.
• Russia could devote 100% of it’s mechanized units into a foolhardy offensive towards Burma. This would be really irritating, but would be somewhat mitigated by the German conquest of Moscow. Alternately, the Russians could sit in Yakut and reinforce it with an infantry division or two every couple of turns. It would be up to the Germans to take full advantage of the slight deficiency in Infantry on the Eastern Front that this Asian Buildup would create.