‘Not easy’: Japan mulls building its own LNG carriers amid Iran energy crisis

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Carol YangMarch 20, 2026 at 06:00 AM

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short article 1 min

Japan is considering restarting domestic production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers for the first time since 2019 to enhance its energy security amidst global energy supply concerns. A shipbuilding working group is exploring proposals for this initiative, with Imabari Shipbuilding and Oshima Shipbuilding potentially collaborating on the project. The move aims to revitalize Japan's maritime sector and reduce reliance on foreign shipbuilders. Currently, South Korea and China dominate the LNG carrier market, with South Korean shipyards accounting for the majority of deliveries. Experts note that re-entering this technologically advanced sector will be challenging for Japan.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kyodo News 40% Banchero Costa 40% Oshima Shipbuilding 50% Imabari Shipbuilding 50% Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 60% United States 60% Israel 60% Ralph Leszczynski ×260% South Korea ×270% China ×270% Iran 70% Japan ×690%

Keywords

lng carriers 100% japan 90% shipbuilding 80% energy security 70% domestic production 60% china 50% south korea 50% maritime sector 50% global energy supplies 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: 0.10

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Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Japan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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lng carriers japan shipbuilding energy security domestic production china south korea maritime sector global energy supplies

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