Toichi, Tsutomu

Abstract
To satisfy its demand for energy, Japan continues to rely heavily on oil imported from the Middle East. Increasing geopolitical uncertainty in the region has underscored the urgent need for new initiatives in national energy security policy. Projecting a continuing steep rise in oil consumption by the rapidly industrializing nations of Asia (notably China and India), Tsutomu Toichi, managing director of the Institute of Energy Economics in Tokyo, proposes various alternative sources of energy for Japan and its neighbors. Sounding a cautiously optimistic note, Toichi argues that increasing levels of cooperation between the nations of East Asia could serve as a basis for joint development projects that might allow Japan to loosen the shackles of dependence on Middle Eastern oil, but cautions that Japan must first place greater emphasis on building good relationships with neighboring countries, and must also more closely align its energy, security, and environmental policies.
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