KANAGAWA - Hakone, one of the Kanto region's most popular tourist destinations, has been left with just two operating gas stations after a series of closures, prompting the town to provide more than 10 million yen in subsidies to help reopen a shuttered facility.
The decline in Hakone reflects a broader retreat from the gas station business across Japan.
A survey by Teikoku Databank found that more than 1,700 companies have withdrawn from the gas station business over the past 10 years.
Between January and August 2026 alone, 144 companies left the industry through bankruptcy or closure, the highest level recorded during the past decade.
Daisuke Iijima of Teikoku Databank said the recent sharp rise in gasoline prices had significantly reduced demand. He said the number of companies withdrawing from the gas station business could continue to increase.
The problem has become particularly visible in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, as the town prepares for the Silver Week holiday period beginning September 19.
Tourists visiting from Kawasaki said they had not seen a single gas station while traveling through the area. One said their fuel tank was already more than half empty and they were worried about finding somewhere to refuel.
Hakone still had five gas stations in 2025, but successive closures have reduced the number currently operating to two.
Kowakien Service Station closed in August 2025, Kojiri Service Station closed in November 2025, and Miyanoshita Service Station closed in March 2026. The remaining operating stations are in Hakone-Yumoto and near Lake Ashi.
Residents have also expressed concern that the loss of local fuel stations could threaten daily life.
Masaaki Nakamura, who runs a souvenir shop in the Gora area, said the closure of the nearby Miyanoshita station in March had come as a shock. "Not having a gas station locally is a matter of survival," he said. "When I heard it was closing, I thought, 'That can't be true,' and then, 'Why?'"
With fuel stations regarded as essential infrastructure for both residents and the tourism industry, Hakone has begun offering financial support to keep services operating.
The town introduced subsidies totaling 10.7 million yen for repairs and other work at gas stations.
Miyanoshita Service Station, which closed in March 2026, plans to use part of the subsidy for renovation work and is scheduled to reopen in November.
Source: TBS
