There has been a temporary 30 yen (roughly 25 cents)/liter consumption tax on gas in Japan for the last thirty years.  Don't you love the loose application of temporary?  But such a loose interpretation will not lose and election for your.  Having the public find out that the majority of that tax which is supposed to be used for road improvement has mainly been used for massage chairs, tennis courts, unbelievably stupid graft projects like plays or paper projects to promote useles...