With Japan, a nation of little resources, you must invest in and respect your people. You cannot simply tax them at 100% and expect your nation to succeed. You have to set your priorities higher than the government or military, and this can be done in a few simple ways.
One method of achieving stature as a nation with a country like Japan is by cutting taxes, treasury, and military spending in favor of increasing the happiness of your people. You can raise things like education, administration, and social spending and set national focuses on your workers and labourers. This way, most people get their needs filled and most people can be happy doing work for the good of the nation.