Naotake Bando likes the simplicity. The 61-year-old motorist, who recently pulled into a self-service gas station in Chofu, western Tokyo, said he prefers to fill up his car by himself.

He doesn't want to bother attendants with a mere 10- or 20-liter fill-up. And he gets annoyed by the "free services" provided at conventional stations. The price is also cheaper at the self-serve pumps.

"One of the things I hate most (about full-service stations) is that sometimes, attendants use dirty rags, and my windshield gets smudged," he said.