BHR
Without meaning to decry the basic thrust of your arguement I would say your use of Japan as an example is a poor choice.
Japans military does not have carriers because it is supposed to be a "Self Defence Force". Carriers are cocsidered offensive, and echoes of WW2 etc, which doesn't mean that the Japanese military wouldn't like to have them! Japan has F-15s, son of F-16, about 100 P-3s (MPA), AWACS, would like to acquire tankers (again considered potentially offensive in nature), and a fairly massive (larger than the RN I think) and modern navy (just look in Janes fighting ships) which has units routinely operating far from the Pacific region, etc!!