Editing Geography of Japan (section)

===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>