Japan Purchases 720,000 Barrels of Russian Oil Amid Middle East Supply Concerns

Japan has recently purchased approximately 720,000 barrels of oil from Russia, according to Koichi Hagiuda, deputy secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The oil came from the Sakhalin-2 project and is not subject to anti-Russian sanctions, as it is linked to existing gas contracts under that framework. Hagiuda disclosed the purchase during a conversation with a YouTube content creator, noting that the delivery occurred after the onset of the Iranian crisis and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Japanese companies including Taiyo Oil, Idemitsu Kosan, and ENEOS confirmed separate purchases of Russian oil from Sakhalin in early May, citing supply diversification as their rationale. While Japan officially rejected Russian oil imports following 2022, Japanese companies have occasionally purchased small quantities at the government's request. The companies emphasized that the purchased oil is exempt from economic sanctions, though they declined to disclose specific volumes or contract details.

Hagiuda acknowledged Japan's vulnerability to geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East, where the country sources over 90 percent of its oil supplies, with much of that trade passing through the strategically sensitive Strait of Hormuz. He lamented that Japanese media had provided minimal coverage of the Russian oil purchases and expressed Japan's inability to independently negotiate with Iran for safe passage through the strait. Tokyo has stated its intention to diversify oil supply sources, though Russia was not formally identified as a long-term alternative supplier.