Why assume Japan could afford a hypothetical fleet programme?

Why consider Japan's hypothetical fleet modernization if its economy could not sustain it?

The naval question assumes peace until 1944 and sufficient resources for modernization. Japan's economic weakness remains a serious caveat, but declaring bankruptcy inevitable leaves the requested fleet choices unanswered.

Japan's limited economic resources could prevent construction altogether, and that objection is accepted as a real constraint. The hypothetical modernization question nevertheless assumes that peace continues until 1944 and that funding is available. Under those assumptions, the task is to assess likely naval developments. Treating bankruptcy as inevitable would leave those fleet choices unexplored. The scenario depends on economic conditions that could fail in practice.