URGENT: Japan gasoline price hits record 185.60 per liter

The average retail gasoline price in Japan has climbed for the 15th straight week to its highest-ever level, industry ministry data showed Wednesday, as subsidies given to oil wholesalers taper off toward the end of September.

The average price for regular gasoline stood at 185.60 yen ($1.3) per liter as of Monday, up 1.90 yen from a week earlier and the highest since comparable data became available in 1990.