"Taisho Democracy" continues in Japan

So, whatever the reason (maybe a smaller great depression and less power to the military), Japan continues its Taisho democracy movement. An interesting point in this era was Japan's withdrawal of troops from Siberia and Shadong, as well as signing the Nine-Power treaty which made the signatories respect China's independence and integrity.

So what would have happened to a relatively democratic and non-militaristic Japan?
 
I've thought about such a scenario several times, and the trick is finding a way to either curtail or divert the multiple threads which eventually converged in the form of Japanese militarism. Perhaps the most prominent thread to be dealt with is the growing belief amongst the nationalists and military of the time that Japan could not survive if it were to be dependent on foreign trade as it was, something they felt was made particularly clear by the Depression, and that the only way to ensure Japan's continued viability was by carving out a western-style colonial empire.

The main way to deal with this would be to remove the Great Depression from the equation, though I for one have never been sure how this could realistically be done.
 
What if Shidehara Kijūrō had believed that a unified China would inevitably clash with Japan. Thus in 1924 he approached the British and other powers with interests in China and proposed an agreement to discourage war between the warlords. The External Powers would use their influence and if necessary force to prevent attacks from one warlord on another (sort of Chinese League of Nations with sharp teeth). An obvious first example would be to prevent groups linked with the Communists extending their influence. Thus the Powers would continue working together to make trade safer and everyone richer.
 
Top