Japan Core Consumer Prices Up 1.8 Pct in July

Tokyo, Aug. 21 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s core consumer price index in July rose 1.8 pct from a year earlier, up for 59 months in a row, the internal affairs ministry said Friday. The core CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food prices, stood at 102.1, against 100 for the base year of 2025. Starting this time, the ministry changed the base year from 2020. Energy prices inched up 0.6 pct, the first rise in eight months, as high crude oil prices helped reduce declines in electricity and city gas fees. Meanwhile, gasoline prices fell 1.8 pct. A ministry official said that government measures, including subsidies to curb gasoline prices, lowered overall consumer prices by about 0.2 pct. Food prices excluding fresh items climbed 3.0 pct, reflecting higher prices for snacks such as potato chips and prepared foods including fried chicken amid soaring chicken prices. Transportation and communication costs advanced 2.6 pct following higher voluntary automobile insurance premiums, while housing costs increased 1.0 pct due to rising rents. The overall CPI, including fresh food prices, and the index excluding fresh food and energy prices both posted a 1.9 pct increase. The ministry updates the CPI statistics every five years. This time, it added protein powder and correspondence courses to the list of items it monitors, while removing soccer stadium admission fees and bank transfer fees. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]