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## Overview Japan has mobilized a national programme collecting used cooking oil from households and supermarkets to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), emerging as a practical response to an aviation fuel crisis exacerbated by the Strait of Hormuz closure (SCMP, June 2026). ## Programme Details - Individual households are donating used cooking oil at approximately 300 supermarket collection points across Japan (SCMP, June 2026). - Participants such as Tokyo homemaker Maki Watanabe reportedly contribute approximately 40 litres per year (SCMP, June 2026). - The collected oil is processed into SAF as part of a broader national effort to reduce aviation dependence on conventional jet fuel (SCMP, June 2026). ## Context: Aviation Fuel Crisis The Strait of Hormuz closure and broader Iran War disruptions have created acute jet fuel supply constraints across Asia-Pacific. Existing wiki pages document a region-wide aviation fuel crisis affecting carriers including Cathay Pacific and Greater Bay Airlines. Japan's SAF initiative predates the crisis but has gained urgency in the current environment. ## Strategic & Commercial Implications **Energy Policy**: - Japan's SAF push reflects the country's broader energy security strategy following decades of import dependency. - The cooking oil programme, while symbolically important, represents a small fraction of Japan's aviation fuel needs; industrial-scale SAF production from agricultural and waste feedstocks is the longer-term goal. **Business Opportunity**: - Collection infrastructure, biorefining capacity, and SAF certification are emerging commercial opportunities in Japan's energy transition. - Japanese trading companies (sogo shosha) are likely to play a central role in scaling feedstock aggregation. **Regulatory**: - Japan's SAF mandates and ICAO CORSIA compliance requirements will drive demand regardless of the current crisis, making SAF a durable investment thesis.