Tokyo Gas Stations Hide Prices

Mainichi reports on some very dishonest behavior taking place among gas station owners in Tokyo:

Several gas stations in Tokyo blanked out signs advertising gasoline prices on Tuesday as gasoline prices fell in line with the expiry of a provisional gasoline tax.

The move was apparently the result of a closed-door agreement between gas stations, aimed at avoiding a price war and protecting small gas stations that couldn’t lower their prices.

Organizations in the industry stress that there was no illegal cartel, but customers expressed dissatisfaction at the move, saying it was strange that they couldn’t choose a gas station based on price.

In Tokyo’s Sumida-ku, one gas station that had been selling regular gasoline at 146 yen per liter until the end of March had no prices displayed on its signboard when it opened at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. In actual fact, it was selling gasoline 16 yen cheaper, at 130 yen per liter.

Station officials said that on Monday evening, the station had received a phone call saying, “Other gas stations in the area aren’t going to put out signs. Why don’t you join in as well?” After this, the company reportedly made its own decision to leave the sign blank.