Japan has moved to secure alternative crude oil supplies from countries including Nigeria as it seeks to stabilise domestic energy stocks and reduce dependence on Middle Eastern sources amid ongoing conflict in the region.
Narumi Hosokawa, deputy director-general for immediate crisis management at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, confirmed that the government is actively contacting suppliers worldwide to ensure stable supply while searching for non-Middle East barrels. Countries such as Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, and Angola are also part of Japan’s sourcing diversification strategy.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that Japan will release 20 days’ worth of oil reserves from May as part of an independent stockpile drawdown. The country plans to secure more than half of its crude oil imports via routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz by that time. This move comes after Japan began releasing reserves on 16 March, initially making available enough oil to last 50 days, with the May release drawn from the public stockpile.
Japan remains heavily reliant on the Middle East, which supplies approximately 95% of its crude oil imports. In May last year, the country imported around 189,000 barrels per day from the United States, accounting for about 8% of its total crude purchases that month. US officials have urged Japan to increase purchases from American suppliers, and the latest METI data shows that US substitute supply levels in May will be four times higher than a year earlier.
The Strait of Hormuz has been at the centre of global energy concerns following a near-total blockade by Iran, contributing to the worst-ever disruption to international energy supplies. Although the United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire in their conflict, there is no indication that Iran will lift the blockade in the near term.
As of 7 April, Japan held enough oil reserves to cover 228 days of consumption, including 143 days in its public stockpile. The government’s coordinated release of reserves, both unilaterally and in line with other nations, is intended to cushion the impact of supply shocks and maintain energy security during heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
