Abstract: As a major energy-consuming nation, Japans traditional energy imports and transportation routes are subject to significant uncertainty due to political risks in regions such as the Middle East. The abundant oil and gas resources in the Arctic, along with the development and utilization of its shipping lanes, hold vital strategic significance for Japan. Concurrently, the rapid environmental changes in the Arctic are poised to significantly affect various sectors in Japan, including climate, fisheries, and maritime transport. Due to its non-Arctic state status and the constraints of the Arctic Councils system, Japan has long been unable to have decision-making power in Arctic governance affairs and has long encountered multiple difficulties. Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the geopolitical landscape of the Arctic has undergone severe fragmentation. The halt in Japans cooperation with Russia, which wields significant control over Arctic shipping routes and possesses abundant energy resources, coupled with the deceleration of its collaborative pace with near-Arctic partners like China and South Korea, has plunged Japan into a fresh set of challenges in realizing its fundamental national interests in Arctic governance. On another note, Japan has intensified its deep cooperation with the United States on Arctic security strategies and has adopted a diversified and multifaceted approach to governance, thereby forging closer cooperative ties with Nordic countries. Nevertheless, these initiatives remain insufficient in resolving Japans new predicaments, and instead push Japan towards the security dilemma of maritime militarization.

Key words: geopolitics, Arctic governance, Japan marine strategy, diplomatic dilemma