Why commerce raiding was a poor cruiser alternative

Why did Japan not design its heavy cruisers primarily as long-range commerce raiders?

The main British and American trade routes lay too far from Japanese support, where isolated raiders would face British hunting groups and be difficult to replace.

Most British trade ran west of India, while much American commerce was coastal or Atlantic and far from Japanese bases. A submarine campaign on those routes would have required hundreds of very long-range boats. Surface raiders would have needed to reach the South Atlantic or deep Indian Ocean, where British cruiser groups and fast ships such as Renown, Repulse, and Hood could hunt them. Japan could not replace distant losses easily and also needed ships for convoy protection and maritime security. The same resource limits forced a choice between economic warfare and concentration on the battle fleet.