Japan may still pursue torpedo destroyers as an offset

Would Japan still build torpedo-focused destroyers such as Shimakaze?

Possibly; if Japan no longer relies on Yamato-type battleships as its main offset, it may continue seeking advantage through powerful torpedoes and fast destroyers.

Treaty satisfaction changes the fleet's balance, but it does not erase the 5:5:3 numerical disadvantage. Conventional 16-inch-gun capital ships leave room for a different asymmetric answer. Long-range torpedoes and specialized destroyers can threaten a stronger enemy without requiring parity in battleship tonnage. The exchange therefore treats Shimakaze-like development as plausible, though not inevitable.