Japan purchased 83.18 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in fiscal year 2011, an 18% increase from its 2010 imports. This increase was a result of last year's tsunami and earthquake that caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. 

The resulting decrease in power generation caused an increased demand for natural gas-powered generation. This import level was the highest by Japan since it began keeping track of LNG imports in 1980 and cost $66 billion, up from $42.9 billion in 2010.  ...