Shoko Oda

The war in the Middle East is putting pressure on the Japanese government to consider energy-saving measures, a challenge for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as she seeks to calm public anxiety over potential shortages.

Tokyo Gas Co. will raise its base charge for the first time in nearly half a century to offset higher costs and declining consumption.

The war in Iran is putting pressure on Japan to consider energy-saving measures, a challenge for the prime minister as she seeks to calm public anxiety over potential shortages.

Several Japanese power producers have withheld full-year earnings guidance due to uncertainty around the supply and cost of liquefied natural gas.

Food and drink prices in Japan are set to increase as early as this summer due to a war-driven shortage of a critical ingredient used in plastic packaging, according to a report by corporate research firm Teikoku Databank Ltd.

Japan may send government officials to Russia as early as the end of May to maintain communications with Moscow to support its companies that are still operating there, the trade ministry said in a post on X.

Japan’s coal-power generation is rising while natural gas-fired output falls, as conflict in the Middle East chokes supplies of the less-polluting fossil fuel and sends prices higher.

Japan will have enough electricity to meet demand during the sweltering summer months, the government said in its latest analysis of the supply situation.

Japanese energy company Inpex Corp. signed preliminary accords to supply liquefied natural gas from an export project that it’s developing in Indonesia.

Japan’s spot power price climbed to its highest level in more than a month as forecasts for unusually hot weather boosted demand, while the conflict in Iran tightened fuel supplies.