Japan core consumer prices in May rise 1.4%, fuel subsidies slow increase

Japan's core consumer prices in May rose 1.4 percent from a year earlier, government data showed Friday, with subsidies for gasoline prices capping the upside.The increase in the nationwide consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh food, followed a 1.4 percent rise in April and remained below 2 percent for the fourth consecutive month, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.Core-core CPI, which strips away both energy and fresh food to reflect underlying price trends, rose 1.8 percent in May.Energy costs fell 2.5 percent on year, after a 3.9 percent drop in Ap…READ FULL ARTICLE