Hi there, I've been able to find my copy of Shattered Sword (link) and am able to provide a better response. Here are some items from it:

• When Kido Butai (the main Japanese strike force) was on deployment, the crew had some opportunities for recreation. They could play chess, read popular novels that passed around in the ranks, or hang out and sun themselves on the flight deck. Cooks would make special accommodations for extra food and delicacies, when available. They would be asked to exercise, do PT and sing songs on the deck after lunch; usually Japanese martial songs but sometimes popular songs as well.

• The sailors were conditioned by Japanese society and the conditions of the military to immediately and unquestioningly obey orders. Discipline was extraordinarily strict. Japanese ace Saburo Sakai said that in training, his petty officers were absolute tyrants, but that discipline on the ship was tyrannical and apparently meant to reduce the men to "human cattle." In the officer corps, much the same prevailed, but with the exception of occasional alcohol-fueled outbursts which might have served as relief valves in blowing off pressure.

• Regarding what I had said elsewhere in this thread related to technical skills, one of the issues that the Kaga faced when it was hit at Midway is that only officers were trained in damage control, not enlisted men. There was also a larger proportion of officers in the Japanese navy than in either the British or American navies, because officers were expected to deal with technical matters. This created major problems related to firefighting and other damage control issues, where the Japanese navy had far fewer personnel trained to be able to deal with keeping the ship afloat than the American navy.

I hope this helps answer some questions. I also have some resources on American carriers during the war, if it is useful.

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