The Environment Ministry unveiled a carbon tax Friday to discourage use of fossil fuels and promote the use of energy-saving appliances so Japan can meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.
Who exactly will pay for the "environment tax," however, would depend on the type of fuel, according to the plan.
Processors and importers of such fuels as gasoline, kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas, for example, would have to pay 2,400 yen per ton of carbon contained in the fuel -- a burden they are expected to pass on in the retail price.