Japan’s electricity market prior to any liberalization was a monopoly model like most other countries. Post liberalization, the Japan retail electricity market versions 1.0 and 2.0 were launched with very different attributes than US, EU, and UK markets (global liberalized retail electricity markets). Japan’s electricity market is now evolving to competitive business models more akin to those international markets.

This paper is based on the author’s participation and experiences in every global liberalized electricity market, including opening Skipping Stone’s Japan operation two years before deregulation began there. It provides a viewpoint into likely Japan Retail 3.0 changes, the impact of those changes, and strategies used in other global markets to succeed.