JAPAN PERSPECTIVE

The Japan Times headlines the 'new perils' that downed jets create for Trump, but a second article reveals Japan's real angle: the government is hesitant to ask the public to reduce energy consumption as the war drags on. Tokyo reads the downed aircraft not as an isolated military fact but as a signal the conflict won't end soon -- and that Japan must prepare for a prolonged energy crisis. The Japan Chamber of Commerce president, Ken Kobayashi, admits 'the government will inevitably have to think about how long people must maintain' conservation measures. PM Takaichi has said no option is excluded, including asking the public to reduce gasoline consumption. Japan imports virtually all its energy from the Middle East and 44 Japanese vessels remained stranded in the Persian Gulf. The cautious tone -- 'the government is cautious about requesting energy conservation' -- is quintessentially Japanese: don't create panic, lay the groundwork for unpopular measures.