What was Japan's strategic thinking?

There is no doubt that Japan regarded the capture of the resource areas in the south, the seizure of the rich resources there, and the securing of the lines of communication as important points of its war. However, Japan was very worried about being flanked by the U.S. Pacific Fleet from Hawaii when attacking the south. For this reason, Japan decided to wipe out the U.S. Pacific Fleet, but there was no agreement on the means to do so.