The average retail price of regular gasoline across Japan stood at ¥139.50 per liter as of Monday, up ¥0.50 from a week earlier and rising for the 11th straight month, the Oil Information Center said.
However, an official at the center said Wednesday that retail prices might head downward soon because wholesale prices have declined due to cheaper crude oil.
Of the 47 prefectures, 31 saw a rise in the average retail price, with Fukui and Fukuoka leading the way at ¥2.50 per liter, followed by Saga at ¥2.20 and Toyama at ¥1.60.
Prices in nine prefectures, including Fukushima and Kochi, remained unchanged.