Natural gas industry
Unlike many of the world's commodities, the price of natural gas has been one of the few that has actually declined this past year.
But perhaps not for long. The production of nuclear power, which accounts for about 30% of Japan's electricity, has stalled as workers try to avert a nuclear disaster following last week's earthquake.
The power disruptions have helped send natural gas futures rallying on speculation that liquefied natural gas cargoes would be diverted to Japan.
On Tuesday, natural gas futures rallied for a third day, gaining 1.2% in the New York Mercantile Exchange to $3.959 a million British thermal units. Despite the recent rise, gas is still down 11% this year.
Auto industry
As the world's third-largest producer of automobiles, Japan could expect major headwinds as the natural disasters disrupt production of vehicles sold across the world.
As Fortune's Alex Taylor notes, Japan's largest auto producers are now expected to remain shut down through Wednesday, and some analysts foresee further disruptions lasting months. He also points out that U.S. car buyers will be feeling the effects of the disaster in coming weeks -- Deutsche Bank estimates that about 12% of all vehicles sold in North America come from Japan and that vehicles produced in the region by Japanese automakers contain at least some Japanese-made component.
The next five months are the seasonally strongest of the year for U.S. sales, so extended disruptions could cause shortages of some products.
Semiconductor industry
Japan is one of a few technologically sophisticated economies to dominate the global semiconductor industry -- those tiny chips that power a myriad of electronics from cell phones to computers.
But suspension of operations at two major manufacturing plants could present headwinds for the industry in the coming months, potentially pushing prices higher for electronic products globally. Shin-Etsu Chemical, which makes silicon wafers needed to produce semiconductors, announced it has halted operations of its Shirakawa plant, which alone accounts for more than half of Japan's production of electronic wafers. As of Tuesday afternoon, the company's website says the plant remains out of operations as inspections continue.
"A protracted stoppage could have a substantial impact on the semiconductor industry," according to Nomura Global Economics, noting that it could be a while before operations resume. The forecasting firm also says that suspension at another key facility, Sumco's Imari plant in Kyushu, could impact the industry.
Oil industry
Natural disasters, like the earthquake and tsunami that pummeled Japan, often force refineries to shut down, leading to higher fuel prices. And indeed, several refineries in Japan have stopped operations, but crude prices have tumbled below $100 a barrel for the first time in more than a week.
On Tuesday, U.S. crude for April delivery slid $3.77 to $97.42 a barrel in electronic trading. To be sure, the natural disaster in Japan has diverted attention away from troubles in the Middle East, which had sent oil prices surging.
But expectations of lower oil demand from Japan -- the world's third-largest importer of oil -- has helped put downward pressures on prices. It's still a speculator's guess over where prices could go from here, but for now, they're on the way down.
Tourism industry
Japan has long drawn tourists from around the world. But while the quake and tsunami only modestly damaged theme parks and hotels, it has forced them to temporarily close, which will likely have at least a negative impact on earnings, according to Nomura Global Economics.
Oriental Land Co., which runs the Tokyo Disney Resort, has closed its parks and hotels to assess damages, but it's planning to announce a reopening later this month. Nomura notes that there's a widening mood across Japan toward staying at home, so other areas of the leisure industry including karaoke, bowling, video arcades and travel will likely be impacted as well.
