Japan core CPI gains 0.2% in January, cost-push inflation intact

Japan's core consumer prices inched up 0.2 percent in January from a year earlier, as inflationary pressures from surging energy prices and a weak yen persisted, government data showed Friday.With energy costs rising at the fastest pace in over four decades, the nationwide core consumer price index excluding volatile fresh food items gained for the fifth straight month, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.The pace of price growth slowed from 0.5 percent in December, largely because of the diminishing year-on-year impact of higher accommodation fees that came in response…READ FULL ARTICLE