In the period after the long distance calling service was first introduced, charges were set for each call region. Then, in response to an anticipated rapid increase in the number of call regions, this was changed in 1906 (Meiji 39) to charges set in bands based on distance. However, as charging based on distance bands made calls over long distances very expensive, a distance-based sliding scale was adopted in April 1910 (Meiji 43) to rationalize and reduce the pricing of long distance calls. In May of that year, reduced prices for night-time calls were also introduced to reduce call congestion during the daytime.

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