Japan’s Inflation Cools as BOJ Waits for Wage Gains to Kick In
- Slower processed food price gains weigh on overall gauge
- Scheduled end of utility subsidies may spur inflation
Japan’s economy contracted in the first quarter of this year.
Photographer: Soichiro Koriyama/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Japan’s inflation cooled for a second month while staying above the Bank of Japan’s price target as the yen’s recent depreciation fuels concerns that cost-push inflationary pressures may be here to stay.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.2% in April from a year ago, the ministry of internal affairs said Friday. The reading matched analysts’ estimates. The gauge stayed at or above the BOJ’s 2% target for a 25th month.