LNG Ship Passes Through Strait of Hormuz to Japan, First Since Middle East Tensions Worsened
An LNG ship carrying cargo through the Strait of Hormuz is expected to arrive in Japan, marking a partial resumption of the route. Japan is accelerating efforts to diversify supply sources amid continued energy uncertainty.
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- 📰 Published: May 16, 2026 at 12:28
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An LNG carrier carrying cargo from the Middle East through the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy transport artery, will arrive in Japan next week. This is the first time an LNG ship that passed through these waters has arrived in Japan since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively blockaded.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the carrier is the 'Mraweh,' owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of the United Arab Emirates.
According to shipping tracking agency Kpler, the vessel loaded LNG at Das Island in the UAE in mid-April and passed through the Strait of Hormuz before May 6 with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off.
This will be the first LNG carrier to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and sail for Japan since the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran at the end of February. It is expected to arrive at the Futtsu Port in Chiba Prefecture on the 18th of this month.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun pointed out that several LNG carriers passed through the Strait of Hormuz from late April to early May, and it is known that four LNG carriers passed through the waterway with cargo.
On the 13th of this month, a Qatari LNG carrier broke through the blockade and arrived in Pakistan for the first time, and yesterday a second Qatari ship unloaded cargo in Pakistan. Additionally, LNG produced by the UAE is expected to arrive in China on the 16th of this month. The reasons these ships were able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz are unclear.
The report pointed out that Mraweh's arrival in Japan only symbolizes a limited resumption of transport, and supply anxiety remains, with Japan rushing to diversify procurement sources.
Japan has already increased imports from existing sources such as the US and has decided to purchase from an LNG project in the Republic of the Congo for the first time. An LNG ship carrying Congolese LNG is expected to arrive at Nagoya Port in Japan on the 19th of this month.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the carrier is the 'Mraweh,' owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of the United Arab Emirates.
According to shipping tracking agency Kpler, the vessel loaded LNG at Das Island in the UAE in mid-April and passed through the Strait of Hormuz before May 6 with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off.
This will be the first LNG carrier to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and sail for Japan since the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran at the end of February. It is expected to arrive at the Futtsu Port in Chiba Prefecture on the 18th of this month.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun pointed out that several LNG carriers passed through the Strait of Hormuz from late April to early May, and it is known that four LNG carriers passed through the waterway with cargo.
On the 13th of this month, a Qatari LNG carrier broke through the blockade and arrived in Pakistan for the first time, and yesterday a second Qatari ship unloaded cargo in Pakistan. Additionally, LNG produced by the UAE is expected to arrive in China on the 16th of this month. The reasons these ships were able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz are unclear.
The report pointed out that Mraweh's arrival in Japan only symbolizes a limited resumption of transport, and supply anxiety remains, with Japan rushing to diversify procurement sources.
Japan has already increased imports from existing sources such as the US and has decided to purchase from an LNG project in the Republic of the Congo for the first time. An LNG ship carrying Congolese LNG is expected to arrive at Nagoya Port in Japan on the 19th of this month.