Overview
- The three‑month January–March support is being expanded beyond the roughly ¥6,000 initially envisioned, with the heaviest relief front‑loaded in January.
- Government papers indicate February assistance may also be raised, with final figures under negotiation for inclusion in the Nov. 21 economic package.
- Cumulative spending on energy‑bill subsidies since 2023 totals about ¥4.57 trillion and would approach the ¥5 trillion range with the new round.
- Coalition pressures, including firm demands from Nippon Ishin and calls within the LDP for immediate relief, pushed the increase in household support.
- The separate transition subsidy for oil wholesalers was lifted to ¥15 per liter on Nov. 13, and regular gasoline averaged ¥169.80 per liter as of Nov. 17, the lowest in about two and a half years.