TOKYO (MNI) - The average price of regular gasoline in Japan this week rose to Y131.3 ($1.41) per liter, or $5.36 per gallon, from Y131.0 last week, posting the fourth weekly rise in a row, according to data released by the Oil Information Center on Wednesday. It was much higher than Y111.5 marked a year ago. In the Jan. 11, 2010 week, the price showed its first rise in 16 weeks since Sept. 14, 2009 and rose three more times until Feb. 1, before being unchanged twice and falling as many times through March 1. In the week of Oct. 5, 2009, the price of regular gasoline posted its first week-to-week decline in about nine months, falling to Y128.9 from Y129.1, and then dropped for the fifth consecutive week until the Nov. 2 week. It was unchanged at Y127.0 in the Nov. 9 week before falling for seven weeks in a row through the Jan. 4, 2010 week. Retail gasoline prices have been on a general uptrend since mid-January 2009. The national average price of Y106.0 marked on Jan. 13, 2009 was the lowest level since the Y100.8 recorded on March 29, 2004. The price had drifted down for a 22nd consecutive week through Jan. 13, 2009, after hitting a record high of Y185.1 on Aug. 4, 2008, reflecting the fall in crude oil prices from their mid-July peak. This week the average price of high-octane gasoline was at Y142.1 per liter, up from Y141.8 last week. It hit a record high of Y196.0 on Aug. 4, 2008. The average price for diesel oil was at Y110.5 per liter this week, up from Y110.3 last week. It compared with the record high of Y167.4 hit on Aug. 4, 2008. The average over-the-counter price of kerosene for heating stood at Y1,326 per 18 liters, up from Y1,324 last week. It posted a record high of Y2,378 on Aug. 11, 2008. The average home-delivery kerosene price this week was at Y1,447 per 18 liters, also up from Y1,445. It hit a record high of Y2,484 on Aug. 11, 2008.

Source