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Julian Lee
For Julian Lee's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
A ship transits the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea on Jan. 10. Insurance costs for ships whose seafarers who do brave the waterway have shot up tenfold, including a large increase since the airstrikes.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 19, 2024
Airstrikes on Yemen bring new level of chaos to Red Sea shipping
After U.S. and U.K. airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, Western navies caution ships to steer clear.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 1, 2023
Russia can’t replace the energy market Putin broke
Russia's European network of gas fields and pipelines developed at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars has been effectively thrown away due to the war in Ukraine.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 21, 2022
Russian oil flows to Europe have quietly started creeping up
Europe’s resolve to stop buying Russian crude may be starting to ebb.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 10, 2022
Russian crude keeps flowing while Europe wrangles over sanctions
Shipments of the nation's crude were little changed in the seven days to Friday compared with the previous week.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 2, 2022
Bashing Big Oil won't save the planet
Focusing on a handful of companies that pump about 10% of the crude oil produced on the planet every day isn't going to reverse the rise in global carbon dioxide emissions alone.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 31, 2021
Expect more turbulent years ahead for the oil producers
The next five years may be no smoother for oil producers than its first five have been.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 22, 2021
When energy pipelines are political, everyone suffers
The energy transition away from hydrocarbons cannot come fast enough for Europe.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2021
Russia’s 30-year vision is realized with Nord Stream 2
The direct link to Germany finally brings an end to Russia's dependence on former Soviet states for transporting oil and gas to Western export markets.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2021
Oil producers enjoy the calm before the 2022 storm
Oil producers may have to forgo future output increases, and perhaps even reimpose cuts, if they are to prevent stockpiles from rising again.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2021
India’s COVID-19 crisis threatens a global oil recovery
Stay-at-home advisories are likely to hit motor fuels, which until now had been supported by a mass switch from public transport to private cars and motorbikes.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 25, 2020
Could OPEC's house of cards collapse?
The United Arab Emirates is privately questioning the benefits of participating in OPEC and may even be considering whether to leave.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 15, 2020
COVID-19 is big oil’s asteroid strike
The world in which they thrived was changing, threatening their future health. But the outbreak's impact has accelerated that process.
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jun 13, 2019
Iran has little to gain from Gulf of Oman tanker attacks
Two oil tankers have been damaged in a suspected attack in the waters between the United Arab Emirates and Iran as they were leaving the Persian Gulf. This is the second incident in four weeks, and raises the question of who gains what from them.

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on