A durable energy ministry anchors the counterfactual

An early synthetic-fuel program needs a joined-up institution able to coordinate commerce, energy, and industry across changing cabinets. Several experienced politicians and entrepreneurs are considered, but Takahashi Korekiyo is the only candidate who plausibly survives long enough to provide roughly a decade of leadership. His record included establishing Japan's patent system, arranging foreign finance for the Russo-Japanese War, and managing the economy during depression. In the counterfactual, he builds the commerce and industry portfolio into a durable pillar of national power from 1924-25 until 1936. That continuity makes the later technical investment credible.