What was the japanese government's perspective on the pearl harbor attack?

The Japanese truly believed that America was going to attack them, so out of paranoia, they decided to attack first. Pearl Harbor had the airrafts and ships that would be used in war, so it was a perfect target for them because it would give them more time to prepare themselves against America. Unfortunetly for Japan, America was able to mass produce its aircrafts and ships and managed to quickly replace all the damaged vehicles.
I hope this helps.