Japan eyes more Canadian energy exports as as ambassador touts secure Pacific route

CALGARY — Japan is looking to buy more Canadian energy, according to its new ambassador, who says the Pacific Ocean route allows maritime shipments to avoid choke points that can disrupt other supply routes.“Between Japan and Canada, there is no choke point,” Masashi Nakagome, Japan’s ambassador to Canada, told The Globe and Mail, contrasting the Pacific route with passages such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca.Japan’s envoy said his country is looking to strengthen its economic security through Canadian energy purchases in the wake of the Iran conflict and continuing geopolitical instability.Japan already buys Canadian oil, coal, and uranium.Mitsubishi Corp. also holds a 15% stake in LNG Canada, which began shipping liquefied natural gas to Asia in June 2025. Japan is also expected to have a role in a potential second phase of the Kitimat, BC, project..In early August, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that the first shipment of Canadian crude had reached a Japanese port since the “deterioration of the situation in the Middle East,” signalling a critical energy security milestone for her country.“This procurement of crude oil is a concrete success story of cooperation between Japan and Canada in the field of energy security, following LNG and small modular reactors, and it is a matter of great joy; from the perspective of ensuring Japan's energy security, it is also profoundly significant,” she said.Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean also said in June that Premier Danielle Smith’s government had been in talks with Japan to increase crude oil exports, adding that Alberta was exploring whether its heavy crude oil could be combined with a lighter, synthetic oil to make a more suitable blend for Japanese refiners.“We want to work with them to make sure that they’re able to take our oil over a long period of time,” he said..Takaichi met with Prime Minister Mark Carney in March at a Japan-Canada summit, where the two leaders agreed to elevate relations between the two countries to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”Canadian propane is another part of that trade relationship, with shipments from Calgary-based AltaGas accounting for 24% of Japan’s propane market in 2024.That share fell to 11% in 2025 as Chinese demand for non-US propane rose during a trade dispute with Washington, drawing some AltaGas shipments away from Japan.While Japan is interested in further Canadian investment, Nakagome said Japanese companies are continuing to watch the future of Canada-US trade relations with great interest.“For any companies, not just Japanese companies, predictability is very important,” he said.“We are hoping that we could see more predictability in the future.”

Japan eyes more Canadian energy exports as as ambassador touts secure Pacific route

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