Tokyo Gas Says Japan Cannot Easily Replace Russian LNG Imports

Japan finds it extremely difficult under current conditions to отказаться from importing liquefied natural gas from Russia, Tokyo Gas President Takashi Uchida said, underscoring the country's pragmatic approach to energy security.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Basile Morin, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Tokyo, Japan

Why Russian LNG Remains Hard to Replace

According to Uchida, Russian LNG supplies remain economically attractive, while any rapid switch to alternative sources would involve major technological, logistical, and financial challenges. He noted that replacing these volumes on short notice would strain infrastructure and significantly increase costs, Neft i Kapital (Oil and Capitral) reports.

This assessment effectively reflects the broader stance of Japan's leading energy market players and highlights Tokyo's cautious position on cooperation with Russia in the gas sector.

The Japanese approach stands in sharp contrast to the European Union, which continues to tighten restrictions on Russian energy imports and urges its partners to follow the same line.

Energy Security Over Political Pressure

Japan has opted for a more pragmatic model, prioritizing domestic energy stability. For a country with minimal hydrocarbon resources of its own, reliable fuel imports represent not only an economic concern but a matter of national security.

Pressure from the United States intensified last year, when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly expressed hope that Japan would eventually abandon purchases of Russian energy resources. Tokyo avoided firm commitments at the time, limiting itself to statements about considering possible options.

Government officials and business leaders have repeatedly stressed that Russian energy supplies play a significant role in maintaining the resilience of Japan's economy, especially amid volatility in global gas markets.

Sakhalin-2 and the Limits of Sanctions

Japanese media report that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concluded it would be practically impossible to halt Russian LNG deliveries. She reportedly conveyed this view to Donald Trump during talks last October, arguing that a withdrawal by Mitsui and Mitsubishi from the Sakhalin-2 project would bring no tangible benefits.

On the contrary, abandoning stakes and contracted volumes would strengthen the positions of China and Russia, while Japan would lose access to a strategically important gas source and its ability to influence regional supply flows.

Import statistics underline this dependence. Last year, Japan imported around 65 million tons of LNG, with 5.8 million tons coming from Russia, or just under nine percent of the total. LNG accounts for more than 61 percent of Japan's imports from Russia in value terms, and figures in 2024 remained comparable, indicating stable trade ties despite sanctions and geopolitical tensions.

At the same time, Japan generally adheres to the G7 embargo on Russian oil. Direct crude imports from Russia have nearly ceased, although limited volumes linked to Sakhalin-2 have continued. The project received exemptions from Western sanctions largely due to Tokyo's insistence, highlighting its central role in Japan's energy strategy.

More broadly, the situation around Russian LNG illustrates the limits of sanctions policy and differing approaches among allies. Japan's reluctance to abandon Russian LNG stems from rational calculation rather than political sympathy. With global gas markets under strain and alternatives offering neither guaranteed stability nor acceptable prices, Russian LNG remains a vital and difficult-to-replace element of Japan's energy balance.