Japan’s Farms and Buses Struggle to Find Fuel Due to War Disruption

Japan’s cities and villages are starting to experience fuel shortages affecting everything from public transport to farming, as disruptions from the Iran war seep deeper into daily life.

The import-dependent nation relies on the Middle East for nearly all of its oil, and has been hit particularly hard by the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Major refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co. this week started cutting supply to customers, and the nation’s gasoline prices surged 18% in the past week to the highest level in records dating back 36 years.