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Japan Unveils Energy Strategy to Reduce Reliance on Strait of Hormuz

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2 sources · Japan

Who reported this

  • Asahi Shimbun Japan · Centre-left · Asahi Shimbun Company (family and employee held)
  • The Japan Times Japan · Centre · News2u Holdings

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

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Every source for this story reports from Japan.

The Japanese government has announced a comprehensive energy package aimed at strengthening supply security by diversifying crude oil procurement. A central component of the plan involves providing support for the construction of pipelines that bypass the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan's dependence on the Strait for crude oil imports exceeded 90 percent in 2025, while naphtha procurement via the route accounted for 50 percent. This reliance is driven by lower costs and shorter transport times compared to other oil producing regions.

Recent disruptions and the effective blockade of the Strait caused imports from the Middle East to drop sharply. While Japan shifted to alternative sources such as the United States, transport costs surged approximately 11 times. To mitigate such costs during future emergencies, the government will provide financial support for diversifying procurement sources. The strategy, presented at a Green Transformation execution meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also includes the expansion of nuclear power and renewable energy. The government intends to submit related bills during the autumn extraordinary Diet session and finalize the Power GX strategy by the end of the year.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
The reporting emphasized the economic vulnerability caused by high Hormuz dependence and highlighted the inclusion of nuclear power and renewables as part of the broader solution.
Centre
The reporting focused primarily on the strategic goal of strengthening energy supply security through pipeline alternatives.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.