Japan reroutes Middle East oil shipments to avoid Hormuz strait

Japan is changing how it receives crude oil from the Middle East. Tankers are now taking alternate routes to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, where an effective blockade is in place.

On Tuesday morning, 15 tankers from the Middle East and North Africa were heading toward Japan while bypassing the strait, according to Hidenori Watanabe, a professor at the University of Tokyo. Watanabe analyzed ship-location data from Marine Traffic and other sources to track the vessels.

The blockade has made the traditional shipping route through Hormuz less reliable. Japan depends heavily on Middle Eastern oil, so disruptions threaten its energy supply. Taking longer routes costs more and takes extra time, but it reduces the risk of tankers being caught in the dispute.

Japan is not just rerouting existing supplies. The country is also looking for new sources of crude oil outside the Middle East. Officials are exploring deals with the United States and Russia to diversify procurement and reduce dependence on a single unstable region.

The Middle East situation remains uncertain. Japan's government views both longer shipping routes and new supplier relationships as necessary steps to keep energy flowing to the country's refineries and power plants.