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| Fig. 1: Comparison of the main crude oil import sources between Japan and India. [1] (Image Source: Y. Wu) |
Japan, an advanced industrial economy, consumed 3,812 thousand barrels of oil per day in 2019, ranking third in the Asia-Pacific region after China and India. [1] However, as an island nation with scarce domestic oil reserves, its crude oil production was merely 8.8 thousand barrels per day in 2019, representing only 0.23% of the country's daily demand. [2] Consequently, Japan is almost entirely dependent on imported oil to sustain its economy and daily life, making oil importation a critical element of its overall energy security.
Japan is the world's fourth-largest crude oil importer, following the United States, China, and India. [1] In 2019, among the 146.9 million tonnes of crude oil imported with recorded sources (equivalent to 2,950 thousand barrels per day), the largest shares came from Saudi Arabia (52.6 million tonnes, 1,056 thousand barrels per day) and the United Arab Emirates (42.9 million tonnes, 861 thousand barrels per day). Together, these two sources accounted for approximately 65% of the total volume (Fig. 1). [1] Note that the units conversion follows
| 10^6 tonnes year-1 ×
7.33 bbl tonne-1 365 days year-1 |
= | 2.008 × 104 bbl day-1 |
In total, about 88% of Japan's crude oil imports were supplied by countries in the Middle East, with Russia contributing most in the remaining share. [1]
As a comparative reference, India is included here because its total recorded crude oil imports (221.7 million tonnes, equivalent to 4,452 thousand barrels per day) are comparable to Japan's (Fig. 1). [1] Imports from the two largest suppliers (Iraq and Saudi Arabia) together accounted for only 41% of India's total, with the remainder more evenly distributed among sources such as the United Arab Emirates, West Africa, and South and Central America. [1] This indicates that India's import structure is considerably more diversified. In contrast, Japan's pronounced reliance on a limited number of suppliers increases its exposure to geopolitical risks and potential supply disruptions.
Japan's high dependence on imported oil, particularly from the Middle East, poses long-term risks to both economic stability and energy security. To mitigate these vulnerabilities, Japan has pursued a combination of supply- and demand-side strategies. On the supply side, Japan maintains strategic petroleum reserves to serve as a buffer against potential disruptions in global supply chains. [3] Efforts have also been made to diversify import sources beyond the Middle East through closer cooperation with other oil-exporting countries such as Canada. [4]
On the demand side, Japan continues to promote energy conservation and electrification across the industrial and transportation sectors, leading to a steady decline in oil consumption since 2012. [1] At the same time, Japan aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy supply mix, targeting 40~50% of power generation from renewables by 2040. [5] In the long term, technological innovation, including the development of hydrogen energy and next-generation storage systems, offers additional pathways toward a more self-sufficient energy system. [6] Together, these measures aim to reduce Japan's reliance on imported oil while enhancing the stability, sustainability, and resilience of its national energy supply.
© Yuxuan Wu. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute, and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] "BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2020," British Petroleum, 2020.
[2] "Japan 2021 Energy Policy Review," International Energy Agency, May 2021.
[3] Y. Obayashi, "Japan Oil Refiners to Tap Reserves in Case of Middle East Disruption," Reuters, 17 Apr 24.
[4] A. Stephenson and A. Somasekhar, "Exclusive: Canada's Alberta Eyes Investment in Japan's Refining to Boost Oil Exports, Sources Say," Reuters, 25 Aug 25.
[5] Y. Obayashi and K. Golubkova, "Japan Targets 40-50% Power Supply From Renewables by 2040," Reuters, 17 Dec 24.
[6] "Hydrogen in Decarbonized Energy Systems," Hydrogen Council, October 2023.