Tokyo Core Consumer Prices Up 2.8 Pct in Nov.

Tokyo, Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–The core consumer price index for Tokyo’s 23 special wards in November rose 2.8 pct from a year before, up for the 51st consecutive month, the internal affairs ministry said Friday. The core index, excluding volatile fresh food prices, stood at 111.4 against the 2020 base of 100. Prices of food products other than fresh items climbed 6.5 pct. Rice prices jumped 37.9 pct, while the pace of increase slowed for the seventh straight month. Rice ball prices soared 17.3 pct, and restaurant sushi prices 14.5 pct. Energy prices climbed 2.6 pct. Electricity and city gas prices grew 4.5 pct and 0.7 pct, respectively, because last year’s subsidies to reduce the impact of rising energy prices were bigger than this year. Gasoline prices fell 0.6 pct, reflecting increasing subsidies to smoothly implement the planned abolishment of the provisional gasoline tax surcharge. The overall CPI, which includes fresh food prices, and the index excluding fresh food and energy prices rise 2.7 pct and 2.8 pct, respectively. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]