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If you think imperialism as WW2 invading spree, then no, Japan will never repeat that. But China and India have pretty much change the game of neocolonialism since the late 2000s at the latest that I expect it will be palatable to long-held post-colonialist sensibilities of the Japanese and of world at large. I mean, if a country like Indonesia can pull stunts like bribing PNG for rice exports monopoly and cutting the moral support off the back of the Papuan separatists through combination of diplomatic and economic pressure and pivot the entire Indian Ocean to check on Chinese advance to South China Sea, I don't see any reason why Japan will not pursue this kind of 'politically correct' hegemonism, which is what we should think of imperialism as these days.
Japan already has set up a base in Djibouti. Though I'm more partial to them failing against China to counter set up strategic maritime bases surrounding the Indian Ocean, I'm sure they will try, or perhaps they will come out with some kind of common initiative with Indonesia, India and other Indian Rim countries. But I'm pretty positive that will include sending some JSDF troops abroad.
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