Why would they? Wouldn’t that also mean for japan to be effective, they would need to build up their military power as well and start finally getting into the Navy power game? And if so, why would the US tolerate that, given, that it was still well under a century ago that a militarily influential Japan set out to eradicate much of humanity.
In a word yes, which is what the current Japanese administration is signaling they would like to do. This will eventually require Japan to alter their pacifist constitution, but they're already taking steps in that direction.