During wartime, the Empire Navy's demand for offensive power is endless, and the most powerful means of attack is the carrier-borne Air Force relying on carriers.
Clearly, the more carriers, the better.
Thus, how to obtain enough carriers during the war became an issue the Empire Navy had to seriously consider and address.
The "Replacement carrier" was born in this context.
However, even before construction began, the Empire Navy recognized that the "Replacement carrier" was merely a stopgap and not an ideal choice.
If it's only used for escort operations, then constructing according to merchant ship standards isn't a big problem, as escort operations are conducted behind the lines and rarely face real challenges, and can receive support and coordination from other forces including shore-based Air Force. In fact, during the Second Global War, those escort carriers converted from merchant ships were not inferior to small carriers built to warship standards.
