Could Japan afford a fleet without the Washington treaty?

Would Japan necessarily bankrupt itself in a naval race without the Washington treaty?

Not necessarily: its plans emphasized qualitative advantage, and a costly programme could still be sustainable depending on its economic management.

Japan's plans are described as a competition in ship quality rather than an attempt to match every rival numerically. Such a fleet would remain expensive. Depending on how it was managed, that expense could be sustainable while limiting other commitments. The answer also considers how confidence in the fleet's viability might affect Japan's international position. It identifies resentment of the Washington settlement among a section of Japanese opinion, without treating that reaction as universal.