On May 4 in Canberra, PM Takaichi and PM Albanese signed five joint documents including the Economic Security Joint Declaration. Six critical mineral projects backed by $1.2B. How Japan's approach differs from the US IRA and EU CRMA, and what it means for global supply chains.
Japan has procured Russian crude for the first time since the Strait of Hormuz blockade — a Sakhalin-2 spot cargo bound for Taiyo Oil's Imabari refinery in Ehime Prefecture, arriving May 4. Behind the move lies the controversial 'Sakhalin exception' to G7 sanctions, extended through June 2026. We unpack the structural vulnerability that no amount of moral diplomacy can hide, and compare Japan's response to Germany, South Korea, and India.
Tokyo Gas raises its monthly base fee by ¥150 ($0.94) starting October, the first hike since 1980. But in Japan, many are reacting with 'isn't 46 years of NO change the weird part?' A look at how Japan compares to US, UK, and Sweden gas bills, what yen weakness and LNG imports mean, and why this signals the end of Japan's deflation era.