🥵Record Heat, Infrastructure Surge, and Energy Diversification
Japan confronts record-breaking temperatures hitting 130-year highs while accelerating energy transformation through Canada's first LNG shipments.
🎧🗣️Audio Version of this newsletter, thanks to NotebookLM
In English🇺🇲: Japan Climate Curation vol. 159 [13:51 min.]
In Japanese🇯🇵: Japan Climate Curation vol. 159 [7:45 min.]
*Editor’s note: This article was originally published on 7/2/2025 on Linkedin.
Welcome! I'm Hiroyasu Ichikawa, ichi, and this is issue 159 of the "Japan Climate Curation" newsletter📬, which has been curating hand-picked Japan-related climate news content every week since spring 2022, with over 470 subscribers [ more than 2,890 on Linedin]. You can subscribe by clicking on the Linkedin page or the form below.
I hope you find the articles below beneficial for reading (or skimming)!
Found this week's news insights valuable? Please give it a quick "like" or "share" on LinkedIn – you never know who else in your network might benefit from staying in the loop on Japan's climate scene🙂🙇
【Digest of this week's topics】
Japan recorded its hottest June in 130 years with temperatures 2.34°C above normal, as 196 of 914 locations set new records. Canada launched its first-ever LNG shipment from a $14 billion project, offering 10-day delivery to Japan. AI-driven data centers projected to double electricity consumption to 945 TWh by 2030, prompting utilities to invest hundreds of billions of yen in grid infrastructure. Government mandated solar targets for 12,000 businesses from 2026, aiming to boost solar share from 9.8% to 23-29% by 2040. Japan balanced immediate climate impacts with long-term energy transformation.
*Disclaimer: Generative AI tools such as Claude Sonet 4 and NotebookLM have been used for summary and translation assistance. 🙂
[🇯🇵📰👀Japan Climate News Headlines]
【1】🌡️ Turn up the AC: Japan records hottest June in almost 130 years [7/2 The Asahi Shimbun]
Japan's Meteorological Agency announced that June 2024 recorded the highest average temperature since records began in 1898, with temperatures 2.34°C above normal, significantly surpassing the previous 2020 record of 1.43°C above average. The extreme heat was caused by northward-shifting westerly winds and a strong Pacific high-pressure system. Of 914 monitoring locations, 196 set new June records, with notable temperatures including 38.2°C in Kofu and 37.8°C in Fukuchiyama.
【2】⚡ Canada makes first ever LNG shipment, buoying Asia's energy security [7/1 Nikkei Asia]
Canada made its first-ever LNG shipment, enhancing Asia's energy security. The $14 billion LNG Canada project began operations with geographical advantage of 10-day delivery to Japan, significantly shorter than 25-40 days from US Gulf Coast. Annual capacity of 14 million tons represents 2.5% of global LNG trade. Investors include Shell (40%) and Asian companies (60%) including Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and Kogas.
【3】🤖 Data centers and small reactors could change Asia's nuclear dynamic [7/1 The Japan Times]
Rising AI demand is driving explosive growth in data center electricity consumption, projected to double to 945 TWh by 2030, exceeding Japan's total consumption. Southeast Asia is emerging as the world's third-largest data center hub, with tech giants like Google and Amazon investing heavily in nuclear power. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are enabling a structural shift from government-led to corporate-driven nuclear development.
【4】🔌 Japan's utilities pour billions into power grid amid data center growth [7/2 Nikkei Asia]
Japanese utilities are investing hundreds of billions of yen in power grid infrastructure to support the AI-driven data center boom. Kansai Electric plans over 150 billion yen investment from 2026, while TEPCO targets over 200 billion yen by early 2030s. Electricity demand from data centers is projected to surge 14-fold from 3,600 GWh in FY2025 to 51,400 GWh in FY2034. The government promotes "Watt-Bit Collaboration" for integrated infrastructure development.
【5】☀️ Solar installation targets to be mandated for factories and stores [6/29 Nikkei newspaper]
Japan's METI will mandate solar panel installation target-setting for 12,000 energy-intensive businesses from fiscal 2026. This aims to dramatically increase solar power from current 9.8% to 23-29% by 2040 for decarbonization. Focus shifts to rooftop utilization as suitable land for mega-solar decreases. Promotes lightweight perovskite solar cells, leveraging Japanese companies' technological advantages. Fines up to 500,000 yen for violations from fiscal 2027.
【6】❄️ As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity [6/29 The Japan Times]
Japanese cooling giant Daikin expands into Cambodia amid Southeast Asia's extreme heat from climate change. Global AC units projected to double to 5.6 billion by 2050, with Southeast Asia expected to see 7-fold increase to over 300 million by 2040. However, the cooling industry accounts for 3% of global carbon emissions, creating a vicious cycle where increased usage drives more emissions and inequality issues emerge.
【7】🌊 Building Japan's Offshore Wind Innovation Ecosystem - Lessons from Norway [7/1 Renewable Energy Institute]
Norway's offshore wind innovation ecosystem succeeds through practical test centers, mission-driven public funding, interdisciplinary research, and long-term partnerships. Japan's industry-government-academia collaboration remains limited in scope, with government-led R&D poorly connected to market needs. To commercialize floating offshore wind, Japan needs a national test center, innovative funding systems, and sustained partnerships like Norway's proven model.
【8】⛽ How Japan and Alaska Pioneered the Global Market for L.N.G. [6/26 The New York Times]
In 1969, the first LNG shipment from Nikiski, Alaska to Japan launched what would become a $130 billion global market. Phillips Petroleum and Marathon Oil partnered with Tokyo Gas and Tokyo Electric Power to supply energy-hungry Japan. Regular tanker shipments every 11 days continued for over four decades, establishing Asia as the world's largest LNG importing region. While the Nikiski plant closed in 2017, the US has become the world's largest LNG exporter.
【9】🚗 They're Tiny. They're Slow. And People Are Obsessed - Kei cars gaining popularity in America [6/29 The New York Times]
Japanese Kei cars and trucks are gaining cult popularity in America despite being tiny and slow. Priced under $10,000, these vehicles appeal to Americans seeking affordable, practical alternatives to oversized pickups and SUVs. The 25-year import rule limits availability to pre-2000 models. Enthusiasts form communities celebrating the vehicles' limitations, driven by nostalgia for 90s anime/gaming culture and resistance to America's supersized automotive culture.
【10】🔮 [Opinion] A Prophesied Disaster (Likely) Won't Strike Japan This Weekend [7/2 Bloomberg]
A manga "The Future I Saw" by Ryo Tatsuki, which allegedly predicted the March 2011 tsunami, now forecasts a major disaster on July 5, 2025, involving a massive eruption in the Philippine Sea triggering tsunamis. The prediction has caused tourism decline, with potential ¥560 billion economic losses. While experts dismiss earthquake predictions as unreliable, the Nankai Trough megaquake remains a real threat, emphasizing the importance of disaster preparedness.
📬That's all for this week! Thank you for reading(or skimming) 🙇. I hope you will have a wonderful week ahead!
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