Energy

The country's major energy sources are water power, imported petroleum and natural gas, and nuclear energy. Production of coal has declined steadily, and many Japanese mines have been closed. Traditionally, wood charcoal was an important item of everyday life, but gas and kerosene are now commonly used as fuel in homes. Nuclear energy now supplies about 12 percent of Japan's electric power.

Japan requires large amounts of energy to power its factories, households, offices, and motor vehicles. But the nation must import most of the fuel required to produce that energy. Japan has virtually no natural supplies of petroleum. Hokkaido and Kyushu contain fairly large deposits of coal, but its quality is poor, and the deposits are difficult to mine. Nevertheless, Japan ranks among the world's leading consumers of electric power. Power plants that burn coal, natural gas, or petroleum produce about 65 percent of Japan's electric power. Nuclear power plants supply about 25 percent of the country's electric power, and hydroelectric plants about 10 percent. Japan had hoped to build many more nuclear power plants to decrease its reliance on imported fuels. But a 1995 accident at an experimental nuclear reactor raised questions about the future of the expansion program.