{
  "id": 14880650,
  "title": "Japan trade minister pledges to boost steps against rising kerosene prices",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/japan-trade-minister-pledges-to-boost-steps-against-rising-kerosene",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T05:30:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20261016/p2g/00m/0bu/020000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japanese Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa announced on Friday that the country will strengthen efforts to combat the increasing prices of kerosene, as the resource-scarce nation grapples with energy inflation triggered by Middle Eastern tensions.\n\nThe government intends to provide subsidies for imports of pricier foreign-produced kerosene, Akazawa revealed during a press conference following a Cabinet meeting. Kerosene serves as a crucial fuel for daily life, and ensuring a steady supply poses a significant challenge, he emphasized.\n\nKerosene prices have been on the rise, and anxieties about supply shortages have emerged in certain colder regions. However, Akazawa assured that the necessary quantity has been secured, and there is no immediate risk of a supply shortfall.\n\nUnder Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration, the government will also establish a system permitting oil wholesalers to sell kerosene directly in scenarios involving uneven distribution or supply chain bottlenecks.\n\nAkazawa urged consumers to refrain from panic buying and stockpiling, and the government will ask oil refiners and wholesalers to sell and order the same quantities as the previous year. As of Tuesday, the nationwide average retail price of kerosene was 2,563 yen ($16) per 18 liters, with Hokkaido's northernmost main island experiencing prices 200 yen higher, averaging 2,799 yen.",
  "summary": "TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese trade minister Ryosei Akazawa pledged Friday to bolster measures to address rising kerosene prices, with the resource-poor c",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Mainichi",
        "title": "In reversal of 2025 fortunes, Japan rice farmers face falling prices as new harvest arrives",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/in-reversal-of-2025-fortunes-japan-rice-farmers-face-falling-prices",
        "published": "2026-10-16T05:43:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}