CDPJ opposition leader Yoshihiko Noda after the recent election
Japan LNG to gain traction from political inertia
The crumbling of the country’s postwar political consensus may bolster the country’s LNG demand outlook by stymieing planned nuclear restarts
Japan’s recent snap elections have created a situation unprecedented in the country’s postwar history. After US occupation following the Second World War, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) governed Japan without interruption until 2009, when it was briefly ousted from power, before returning to govern in coalition with the Komeito party from 2012. But the scandal-tainted LDP-Komeito coalition saw its support decline in the latest elections, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba now faces the prospect of attempting to govern without a parliamentary majority. The stage is set for further political turmoil and a new era in which other political parties may be able to influence or block policy—part
Also in this section
7 January 2026
No longer can the energy source be considered a sidekick to oil in the Middle East and neither should it step aside for less convincing alternatives
7 January 2026
The global race for critical minerals has become a defining feature of energy geopolitics, presenting the ASEAN region with both opportunity and risk
7 January 2026
As global energy systems evolve to meet shifting demand and transition pressures, maintaining reliable hydrocarbon supply remains essential to energy security
6 January 2026
Cash will be needed to boost production by 30% to meet region’s rapidly rising power demand, executives told the inaugural Middle East Gas Conference in December
