The Washington treaty restricted capital-ship construction while leaving room for much larger destroyers. Pacific distances offered a strong argument for greater fuel capacity, range and fighting power. Japan also needed replacement work for yards affected by the curtailed capital-ship programme. The criticism is that continued destroyer orders kept construction going without exploiting the full opportunity to build ships suited to those distances.
Notable Point · 1:14-2:48
Treaty limits and the work of Japanese shipyards
Capital-ship restrictions created an economic reason to keep Japanese yards working through destroyer orders.