If Japan can economically produce natural gas from methane hydrate it may experience a huge surge in demand

"If Japan could deliver on its vow to produce natural gas economically from..methane hydrate deposits....it could experience a natural gas boom that matches the fracking-fuelled one...in North America" 
analayst Surya Rajan




Source: 'Fire in ice' energy could challenge LNG

By Ben Lefebvre

Wall Street Journal

The Australian newspaper
Tuesday 30th July 2013, page 21