Treaty pressure and Japan's top-heavy destroyers

What was the worst treaty effect on destroyer design?

Japan's top-heavy destroyers were the clearest example, packing excessive capability into constrained hulls.

Treaty competition encouraged Japan to seek qualitative advantage in every permitted ton. Destroyers received unusually heavy weapons and equipment for their displacement. That approach produced impressive paper capability but harmed stability and seaworthiness. The exchange connects fleet-level numerical restrictions to dangerous compromises in smaller combatants.