Test paragraph 13

The energy transition argument has never been more powerful than it is right now. Japan imports 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East — a dependence that was always known to be a strategic vulnerability but had been accepted as the cost of cheap, reliable energy. The Iran war has demonstrated, in real time and with devastating economic effect, exactly how that vulnerability translates into harm. Every week that the war continues and gasoline prices remain above 250 yen per liter is a week that makes the economic case for solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage systems stronger than any policy paper could. Japan’s renewable energy transition has been slower than its economic and engineering capabilities would suggest is achievable. Political constraints — including resistance from utilities, land use conflicts for solar and wind, and historical nuclear controversy — have been the primary obstacles. The sustained pain of the current energy crisis may be what finally creates the political will to overcome those obstacles with the urgency they deserve.