Japan's average gasoline price hits record high

TOKYO, July 10 Kyodo - The average retail price of regular gasoline in Japan hit a record high of 181.50 yen per liter on Monday, up 9.50 yen or 5.5 percent from a week earlier, due to last month's sharp crude oil price hike, the Oil Information Center said Wednesday.

It is the highest price recorded since the center began collecting gasolineprice data in 1987.

Of Japan's 47 prefectures, 37 saw their respective average prices rising above180 yen, including Nagasaki with the highest level of 188.40 yen.

Nippon Oil corp., the nation's largest oil distributor, raised its wholesale prices of gasoline and other petroleum products being shipped in July by 8.40 yen per liter from June. Others, including Japan Energy Corp., followed suit, leading gas stations nationwide to raise retail prices promptly, the centersaid.

The nationwide average retail price of high-octane gasoline on Monday also soared by 9.50 per liter from a week earlier to a new high of 192.40 yen andthat of diesel oil by 10.10 yen to a record 163.10 yen.

Sharp gasoline price hikes have led consumers to curb gasoline consumption.

Japan Energy said its gasoline shipments in June declined 7 percent from a yearearlier.

==Kyodo