Editing Geography of Japan (section)

==Natural resources==
{{Main|Energy in Japan|Mining in Japan}}

===Land resources===
There are small deposits of coal, oil, iron, and minerals in the Japanese archipelago.<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/> Japan is scarce in critical natural resources and has long been heavily dependent on [[List of countries by oil imports|imported energy]] and raw materials.<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Can nuclear power save Japan from peak oil? |url=http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/can-nuclear-power-save-japan-from-peak-oil/ |publisher=Our World 2.0 |access-date=March 15, 2011 |date=February 2, 2011 |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116212759/http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/can-nuclear-power-save-japan-from-peak-oil/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[1973 oil crisis|oil crisis in 1973]] encouraged the efficient use of energy.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sekiyama |first=Takeshi |title=Japan's international cooperation for energy efficiency and conservation in Asian region |url=http://nice.erina.or.jp/en/pdf/C-SEKIYAMA.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216005103/http://nice.erina.or.jp/en/pdf/C-SEKIYAMA.pdf |archive-date=February 16, 2008 |publisher=Energy Conservation Center|access-date=January 16, 2011}}</ref> Japan has therefore aimed to diversify its sources and maintain high levels of energy efficiency.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Relations with Japan |date=11 March 2016 |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4142.htm |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=23 May 2019 |archive-date=4 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604185025/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/4142.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In regards to agricultural products, the self-sufficiency rate of most items is less than 100%, except for rice. Rice has 100% food self-sufficiency. This makes it difficult to meet Japan's food demand without imports.

===Marine resources===
[[File:Japan Exclusive Economic Zones.png|thumb|right|upright=1.3|[[Exclusive economic zone of Japan|Japan's exclusive economic zones]]:{{legend|#dd12c2|Japan's EEZ}}{{legend|#f080e1|Joint regime with Republic of Korea}}{{legend|#f2d1ee|EEZ claimed by Japan, disputed by others}}]]
The exclusive economic zone of Japan has an estimated large quantity of mineral resources such as [[methane clathrate]], [[natural gas]], metallic [[mineral]]s, and [[rare-earth mineral]] reserves. Seabed mineral resources such as [[manganese nodule]]s, [[cobalt]]-rich crust, and submarine hydrothermal deposits are located at depths over {{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name="japan-seabed"/> Most of these deep-sea resources are unexplored at the seabed. Japan's mining law restricts offshore oil and gas production. There are technological hurdles to mine at such extreme depths and to limit the ecological impact. There are no successful commercial ventures that mine the deep sea yet. So currently, there are few [[deep sea mining]] projects to retrieve minerals or [[deepwater drilling]] on the ocean floor.

It is estimated that there are approximately 40 trillion cubic feet of methane clathrate in the eastern Nankai Trough of Japan.<ref name="天然ガスの本">藤田和男ほか監修 佐々木詔雄ほか編著 『天然ガスの本』 日刊工業新聞 2008年3月25日初版1刷発行 {{ISBN|978-4-526-06024-3}}</ref> As of 2019, the methane clathrate in the deep sea remains unexploited because the necessary technology has not been established yet. This is why, currently, Japan has very limited [[proven reserves]] like [[crude oil]].

The [[Kantō region]] alone is estimated to have over 400 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves. It forms a [[Minami Kantō gas field]] in the area spanning [[Saitama Prefecture|Saitama]], Tokyo, [[Kanagawa Prefecture|Kanagawa]], [[Ibaraki Prefecture|Ibaraki]], and [[Chiba Prefecture|Chiba]] prefectures. However, mining is strictly regulated in many areas because it is directly below Tokyo and is only slightly mined on the [[Bōsō Peninsula]]. In Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, there have been frequent accidents with natural gas that was released naturally from the [[Minami Kantō gas field]].<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.14863/geosocabst.2008.0.426.0 |year=2008 |volume=2008 |last1=金子 |first1=信行 |title=関東平野下に賦存する可燃性天然ガスについて |journal=日本地質学会学術大会講演要旨 |last2=佐脇 |first2=貴幸 |last3=棚橋 |first3=学.}}</ref>

In 2018, {{convert|250|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of [[Minami-Tori-shima]] at {{convert|5700|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep, approximately 16 million tons of [[rare-earth mineral]]s were discovered by [[Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology|JAMSTEC]] in collaboration with [[Waseda University]] and the [[University of Tokyo]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Centuries worth of rare earth elements found in Japan's EEZ |url=http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201804170045.html |newspaper=The Asahi Shimbun |date=April 17, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621021131/http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201804170045.html|archive-date=June 21, 2018|access-date=February 24, 2019}}</ref>

====Marine life====
Japan maintains one of the world's largest [[fishing fleet]]s and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch (2014).<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/> In 2005, Japan ranked sixth in the world in the [[fishing industry by country|tonnage of fish caught]].<ref name="World review of fisheries and aquaculture">{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/w9900e/w9900e02.htm |title=World review of fisheries and aquaculture |website=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] |access-date=January 18, 2014 |archive-date=March 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312075816/http://www.fao.org/docrep/w9900e/w9900e02.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Japan captured 4,074,580 metric tons of fish in 2005, down from 4,987,703 tons in 2000 and 9,864,422 tons in 1980.<ref name="Fish capture by country">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/datablog/2009/sep/02/fish-capture-country |title=Fish capture by country |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 2, 2003 |access-date=January 18, 2014 |last=Brown |first=Felicity |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118075757/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/datablog/2009/sep/02/fish-capture-country |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2003, the total aquaculture production was predicted at 1,301,437 tonnes.<ref name="Japan National Aquaculture Sector Overview">{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/naso_japan/en |title=Japan National Aquaculture Sector Overview |website=[[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] Fisheries & Aquaculture |access-date=2018-10-04 |archive-date=2017-01-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121134330/http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/naso_japan/en |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, Japan's total fishery production was 4,762,469 fish.<ref name="World fisheries production, by capture and aquaculture, by country (2010)">{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/STAT/summary/a-0a.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525161431/ftp://ftp.fao.org/FI/STAT/summary/a-0a.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-05-25 |title=World fisheries production, by capture and aquaculture, by country (2010) |website=Food and Agriculture Organization |access-date=January 18, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Offshore fisheries accounted for an average of 50% of the nation's total fish catches in the late 1980s, although they experienced repeated ups and downs during that period.<ref name=loc/>

===Energy===
{{As of|2011}}, 46.1% of energy in Japan was produced from petroleum, 21.3% from coal, 21.4% from natural gas, 4.0% from [[Nuclear power in Japan|nuclear power]], and 3.3% from [[hydropower]]. Nuclear power is a major domestic source of energy and produced 9.2 percent of Japan's electricity {{As of|2011|lc=y}}, down from 24.9 percent the previous year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Energy |url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c0117.htm#c07 |website=Statistical Handbook of Japan 2013 |publisher=Statistics Bureau |access-date=February 14, 2014 |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113221530/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c0117.htm#c07 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] disaster, the nuclear reactors were shut down. Thus, Japan's industrial sector became even more dependent than before on imported fossil fuels. By May 2012, all of the country's nuclear power plants were taken offline because of ongoing public opposition following the [[Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster]] in March 2011, though government officials continued to try to sway public opinion in favor of returning at least some of Japan's 50 nuclear reactors to service.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tsukimori |first=Osamu |title=Japan nuclear power-free as last reactor shuts |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nuclear-japan-idUSBRE84405820120505 |access-date=May 8, 2012 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=May 5, 2012 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924163821/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/05/us-nuclear-japan-idUSBRE84405820120505 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Shinzo Abe]]'s government seeks to restart the nuclear power plants that meet strict new safety standards and is emphasizing nuclear energy's importance as a base-load electricity source.<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/> In 2015, Japan successfully restarted one nuclear reactor at the [[Sendai Nuclear Power Plant]] in [[Kagoshima prefecture]], and several other reactors around the country have since resumed operations. Opposition from local governments has delayed several restarts that remain pending.

Reforms of the electricity and gas sectors, including the full liberalization of Japan's energy market in April 2016 and the gas market in April 2017, constitute an important part of Prime Minister Abe's economic program.<ref name="CIA World Factbook"/>

Japan has the third-largest [[Geothermal power in Japan|geothermal reserves]] in the world. Geothermal energy is being heavily focused on as a source of power following the Fukushima disaster. The [[Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry]] is exploring over 40 locations for potential geothermal energy plants.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/print/volume-18/issue-3/features/geothermal/is-japan-the-next-boom-market-for-the-geothermal-energy-industry.html |title=Is Japan the Next Boom Market for the Geothermal Energy Industry? |last=Cichon |first=Meg |date=29 May 2015 |website=Renewable Energy World|access-date=20 October 2016|archive-date=8 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808114015/https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/print/volume-18/issue-3/features/geothermal/is-japan-the-next-boom-market-for-the-geothermal-energy-industry.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 3 July 2018, Japan's government pledged to increase [[renewable energy]] sources from 15% to 22–24%, including wind and solar, by 2030. Nuclear energy will provide 20% of the country's energy needs as an emissions-free energy source. This will help Japan meet climate change commitments.<ref>{{cite web |title=Japan aims for 24% renewable energy but keeps nuclear central |url=https://phys.org/news/2018-07-japan-aims-renewable-energy-nuclear.html |publisher=Phys.org |date=July 3, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703120614/https://phys.org/news/2018-07-japan-aims-renewable-energy-nuclear.html|archive-date=July 3, 2018|access-date=October 3, 2018}}</ref>