Consumer prices excluding fresh food climbed 0.8% in the capital in March from a year earlier, fueled by higher electricity bills and more expensive natural gas.
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda doubled down on his commitment to continue with stimulus even if inflation continues to accelerate, in a rebuttal of the
Economists are predicting core consumer prices will rise at a pace of 2% or more this year as surging energy prices, a weakening yen and stabilizing phone charges feed inflation.
The jobless rate rose to 2.8% in January as the number of people working fell by a seasonally adjusted 190,000 from December, the internal affairs ministry reported.