Japan

The Japanese military favored aircraft with airframe weight reduced to the minimum, which provided outstanding maneuverability and a very long range at the expense of aircraft durability. This approach proved efficient for maneuvering engagements at low to mid altitude. It culminated in the development of the А6М Zero series of fighters.

By the end of WWII, Japanese designers faced the necessity to improve aircraft speed and altitude performance, as well as survivability. They had partial success with the unique Kyushu J7W series; however, the new fighters were never tried in action due to the end of the war.

Japanese fighters are rather agile and nimble, but have weak armor. If one is on your back, it can be hard to shake, but if one is ahead of you, it will not be too difficult to take down.

Japanese multirole fighters finish off the tree with tier 8,9 and 10. They are still nimble and have good guns but are slow and are lightly armored. They also tend to carry less outboard weapons compared to American aircraft.