Ministerial Meeting to Strengthen Energy and Food Security

On July 31, 2026, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara convened the second meeting of related ministers at the Prime Minister’s Office to strategically strengthen foundations supporting people’s lives, including energy and food. The meeting discussed the strategic strengthening of these foundations.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara stated that stable supplies and security must be ensured for critical goods such as energy and food, which depend heavily on imports from foreign countries.

Taking advance action against potential risks will help strengthen the resilience of people’s lives and the economic and social system, as well as the capacity for sustained response, even if geopolitical risks materialize somewhere in the future.

Relevant ministries and agencies were asked, based on the meeting’s report, to advance the stable provision of insurance essential for maritime transport, enhance the provision of information on shipping routes and maritime areas, and maintain and strengthen the logistics capacity supporting Japan’s trade.

Regarding risk inspections of the supply chains for critical goods, relevant ministries and agencies were urged to promptly begin working out specific measures. Potential risks have been examined with maritime transport as the central focus since December 2025, taking into account the growing tensions surrounding Iran and the Middle East since February 2026.