Japan core consumer prices rise 4.0% in Dec., highest since 1981

Core consumer prices in Japan gained 4.0 percent in December from a year earlier, the highest level since 1981 and twice the pace envisaged by the Bank of Japan, as higher food and energy prices increasingly squeeze household budgets, government data showed Friday.The core consumer price index excluding volatile fresh food items was above the BOJ's 2 percent inflation target for the ninth straight month, underscoring persistent inflationary pressure despite the central bank's view that it is only transitory.In 2022, the core CPI gained 2.3 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Intern…READ FULL ARTICLE