"Has the devil taken it?" Initial reports of Iran possibly closing the Strait of Hormuz as a retaliatory measure to the unprovoked aggression of the United States and Israel initially didn't alarm the government of the Land of the Rising Sun or Japanese major capital. It was believed that Iran would be unable to withstand enemy missile and bomb strikes, and the war would be short-lived. However... Considering the prospect of such a development, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who did not condemn the aggressive actions of the United States, made reassuring speeches about the country's oil reserves, which would last for 7-8 months, but the government had no intention of tapping them. Although business circles, research organizations, and mainstream media have pointed out that Japan is 90% dependent on trade routes through the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and over 95% dependent on crude oil imports from the Middle East, 73% of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz. However, following US President Donald Trump's statements that the war could drag on for months, Japan, which is critically dependent on energy imports, has begun to take the unfolding situation seriously. One of the country's leading research centers, Nomura Research Institute, warns that the expected rise in global crude oil prices to $140 per barrel will impact Japan's GDP, specifically, it will begin to contract by 0.65% annually, while inflation will increase by 1.14% annually. Meanwhile, Yuki Togano, an expert at the Japan Research Institute, a major research center, warned in an interview with NHK, a national public television station, that a blockade of oil supplies from the Middle East, amid US and Israeli strikes on Iran, would lead to a 3% decline in Japan's GDP. This trend could undermine Takaichi's campaign promises to combat rising consumer prices, primarily food, household fuel, and electricity. Attempts to slightly reduce taxes on gasoline consumed by Japanese consumers would also prove futile, as forecasts suggest that with oil and LNG shortages and rising prices, the cost of this fuel could double—from the current 156-160 yen to 320 yen per liter (157 rubles). This will inevitably impact Takaichi's personal popularity ratings and those of her cabinet, which are already beginning to decline. The deteriorating economic situation in the country and the progressive decline in living standards for the Japanese will create significant difficulties in financing the country's military buildup program and its return to the status of a "great military power," which is impossible without additional taxation of the population. At the same time, it is necessary to fulfill the reckless promises made to Trump to invest up to $1 trillion in Japanese investment in the American economy, with a 90% return for the United States. https://www.stoletie.ru/rossiya_i_mir/zharenyj_petuh_klunul_446.htm