Iran war exposed, but hasn’t changed, Japan’s reliance on imported oil

JAPAN / Society / FOCUS

Iran war exposed, but hasn’t changed, Japan’s reliance on imported oil

Wind turbines generate energy from strong easterly winds on the Shonai Plain in Yamagata Prefecture. Despite the oil crisis caused by conflict near the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns instability in the region could continue to impact supply and the price of imports, the Takaichi administration does not seem to be drawing on the war as a pretext to hasten progress toward Japan's renewable goals. | GETTY IMAGES

By Eric Johnston
STAFF WRITER

Jul 3, 2026

The Iran war laid bare Japan’s heavy reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, through which Japan received over 93% of its oil imports last year before the waterway was effectively closed.

But rather than prompt fundamental policy changes that would accelerate a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration, while not ignoring green energy sources like solar, has responded to the disruption in the flow of oil via the strait by strengthening current fossil-fuel based infrastructure and pushing for more nuclear power.?

Takaichi laid out her administration’s overall energy strategy on Feb. 20, just eight days before the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, by saying that more idled nuclear reactors would be restarted and the development of next-generation reactors would be pursued.?