An agreement would not automatically create a liberal or anti-imperial Japan. Yonai's moderation concerned the risks of further war and did not amount to an abandonment of existing imperial claims. The government could use peace to consolidate territories that other powers recognized as within Japan's sphere. That consolidation might include coercive Japanization policies comparable to other empires' attempts at cultural assimilation, with serious consequences for local populations.
Notable Point · 1:32:39-1:34:10
Peace without immediate decolonization
Even a peaceful settlement might leave Japan trying to consolidate the territories it retained rather than abandoning every imperial objective.