In terms of actual losses, the IJN came out pretty evenly in the few major battles they had parity with the US navy, with the obvious exception of Midway which they lost due to a combination of intelligence, poor planning and general luck on the American side. When they had the right conditions on their side, they even managed a couple of clear victories (Savo Island and Tassafaronga being the obvious examples). By the end of the Guadalcanal campaign, they were clearly outmatched in technology, training and numbers and had very little chance of any sort of victory.
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