1914: German Tsingtao squadron remains in Pacific: AC Sharnhorst and AC Geisenau defeat BC Australia, Germans thus defeat sea born invasion of Rabaul. Japanese then do it later and also seize Lae afterwords.
1917: A more successful Caparetto means Italy knocked out of war, Japanese navy commits a major squadron to Suez and 2 divisions to Greece to make up for the Italians being forced to quit Albania. Awkwardly the Japanese are occupying Albania at the end of the war (war lasts into 1919), sort of holding a bargaining chip.
Versailles gives the Japanese GNG after the war. (Albania is divided between Greece and Yugoslavia at end of war)