Japan has small coal reserves of 396 million short tons. The country ceased coal production in January 2002 with the closure of its last operating coal mine at Kushiro, on the northern island of Hokkaido. Despite Japan’s limited domestic coal reserves and lack of production, the country is a large importer of coal. Japan is the world’s largest importer of steam coal, which it uses for power generation, paper plants, and cement production. Japan is also an important buyer of coking coal for use in its steel industry.