Publication date: Oct 17, 2025 Six Common Pitfalls in Japan’s Retail License Process — and How to Avoid Them Six Common Pitfalls in Japan’s Retail License Process — and How to Avoid Them Entering the Japanese wholesale electricity market is complex and involves many steps. From language barriers to post-license registrations, each stage presents unique …
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Publication date: Oct 16, 2025 Powering Through Winter: Japan’s 2025-26 Winter Weather Forecast Powering Through Winter: Japan’s 2025-26 Winter Weather Forecast Japan registered the hottest summer in history this year, surpassing the previous records in 2023 and 2024 (Nikkei). As Japan transitions from an eventful 2025 summer, we look ahead to winter and explore what …
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Publication date: Oct 3, 2025 Why Wheeling Agreements Matter for New Electricity Retailers As Japan’s power market continues to evolve following its full retail liberalization in 2016, new electricity retailers face a challenging operating environment. One of the key mechanisms enabling their participation in the market is the wheeling (or transmission) agreement: a contract that …
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Publication date: Oct 2, 2025 Navigating Japan’s Evolving Power Market Navigating Japan’s Evolving Power Market Japan’s electricity market has undergone a significant transformation since liberalization in 2016, but the landscape continues to evolve. Ten regional utilities still control around 80% of demand, while more than 700 new retailers compete for the rest. For large energy …
Publication date: Oct 1, 2025 Activating Flexibility: Growing Aggregator Business and Market Outlook Activating Flexibility: Growing Aggregator Business and Market Outlook Since the introduction of the “Designated Wholesale Supply Business Operator System” (commonly referred to as the aggregator system) in April 2022, the aggregation business has expanded rapidly in Japan. An aggregator is a business …
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Publication date: Sept 26, 2025 Retail Market Entry Begins with OCCTO Membership Japan fully liberalized its electricity retail market in April 2016, opening its doors to new entrants for the first time. Foreign companies can participate, but only through a locally incorporated entity that obtains a retail electricity license from the Ministry of Economy, Trade …
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Publication date: Sept 24, 2025 What Market Participants Can Expect From JEPX’s New Trading System What market participants can expect from JEPX’s new trading system The Japan Electric Power eXchange (JEPX) plans to revamp its trading systems in 2026, with the day-ahead (spot) market system set for renewal in February, followed by the intraday market …
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Publication date: Sept 12, 2025 OCCTO Proposes New Rules for Upcoming Long Term Decarbonization Auction At an expert meeting on the capacity market, the Organization for Cross Regional Coordination of Transmission Operators (OCCTO) reported the results of a public consultation on draft guidelines for the third Long-Term Decarbonization Power Source Auction (#LTDA). In the meeting, …
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Publication date: Sept 11, 2025 Japan Moves to Develop Hydrogen and Ammonia Supply Chains Japan’s Simultaneous Market: The Power Trading Shift Coming After 2028 METI’s co-optimization framework aims to reshape electricity trading dynamics and create new opportunities for international market participants. Japan’s electricity market may soon undergo one of its most significant structural transformations since …
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Publication date: Sept 11, 2025 Japan Moves to Develop Hydrogen and Ammonia Supply Chains Japan’s Power Market Revolution: METI’s Bold Plan to Secure Demand Three Years Ahead How new mandatory procurement rules could reshape trading opportunities and market dynamics. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is proposing a fundamental shift in how electricity …
