Did smaller navies consider buying Japanese submarines?

Did any of these smaller navies look at buying Japanese submarines?

No documented effort is identified, and Japan was not actively advertising its submarines for export.

The answer is no as far as the discussion identifies. Japan was not advertising its submarine designs abroad, so the smaller navies' accessible choices came from other builders and licensing partners. Market access mattered as much as technical quality because a foreign design was practical only when its government and shipyards would export it. Japanese boats remain an interesting hypothetical with no documented procurement path for these navies.