TOKYO -- With the blessing of U.S. President Donald Trump, American liquefied natural gas has reached the shores of Japan, promising to diversify the Asian nation's energy supply and cutting down the trade surplus it has with the U.S. while doing so. But the gas is coming with some unexpected costs due to combustion differences with imports from other regions.
In May, Tokyo Gas became the first company to import shale-based LNG from the U.S. under a long-term contract. Other gas and power companies also plan to follow suit. In the future, about 10% of Japan's LNG supply is expected to come from the U.S.
