SAPPORO, Japan -- The Japanese railway operator on the northern island of Hokkaido looks to raise fares for the first time in 23 years as it struggles with losses little relieved by the tourism boom sweeping the rest of the country.
Hokkaido Railway, also known as JR Hokkaido, filed with the transport ministry on Friday to boost ticket prices by an average of 11.1% when Japan's consumption tax rises by 2 percentage points to 10% in October.
