Japanese public wants energy-saving steps as Takaichi holds back
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Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said repeatedly that Japan has enough oil for the time being and that the country has secured stable supply into 2027.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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.
Japan stands out among countries heavily dependent on energy from the Persian Gulf, having so far refrained from calling for conservation measures seen in places like Australia and South Korea.
The nation has relied on releases from its strategic oil reserve, while seeking alternative sources of supply. The government is mindful of not hurting economic growth or spurring panic among consumers.
The public appears keen for more action though.
Some 74 per cent of those surveyed in a recent poll by Nikkei and TV Tokyo said energy-saving is needed. In another poll last week by broadcaster ANN, 64 per cent of people said the government should call for conservation measures.
“The public is very conscientious, so when the government makes a request, people tend to make a real effort to comply,” Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa said at a press briefing on April 24.
“We should be careful not to exaggerate things or spread horror stories that make people overly anxious,” he said, adding that measures were not needed at the moment.
Ms Takaichi has said repeatedly that Japan has enough oil for the time being and that the country has secured stable supply into 2027.
However, the country has not been immune from the knock-on impacts of the war, now in its ninth week, and the double blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. A shortage of naphtha has led to a major toilet maker suspending new orders and is also hitting petrochemical and other home-fixture firms.
Major business and industry organisations have also taken a careful approach to commenting about the need for demand-side measures.
Mr Hideo Suzuki, the executive managing director of the Petroleum Association of Japan, said in an interview with Nippon TV on April 23 that Japan was the only nation reliant on Middle Eastern oil that hadn’t taken steps to suppress demand as he called for swifter action.
However, the association released a statement on April 24, saying the country has secured enough oil for the time being, and that no immediate measures to restrict consumption were needed.
Mr Suzuki’s remarks were based on a scenario that should the war persist, measures may be required, the PAJ said.
A spokesperson for the organisation declined to comment on why the PAJ had released a statement clarifying Suzuki’s comments.
While the central government has been reluctant to go ahead with conservation measures, efforts are emerging at the local-government level.
Tottori prefecture has made an early start to an annual campaign encouraging bureaucrats to ditch suits and ties in favor of lighter clothing to cut air-conditioning use. BLOOMBERG
