Core consumer prices in Japan surged 2.2 percent in June, the fastest pace in over seven years, topping the Bank of Japan's long-elusive 2 percent target for the third straight month, government data showed Friday, adding to the pain for price-sensitive households.The nationwide core consumer price index, which strips away volatile fresh food items, marked its 10th straight month of year-on-year gain and underscores the sensitivity of resource-poor Japan to surging global energy prices. A weak yen has also played a big part in driving up prices of imported energy and raw materials.The last …READ FULL ARTICLE
