Japan's core consumer prices increase 0.8 pct on year in May

TOKYO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Japan's core consumer prices increased in May from a year earlier, the government said in a report on Friday.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, prices rose 0.8 percent in May from a year earlier, with the pace of the increase in the nationwide consumer price index, excluding fresh food prices because of their volatility, following a 0.9-percent increase in April.

The statistics bureau's data also showed that while prices had risen for the 29th consecutive month in the recording period owing to rising energy costs, they still remained well below the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) lofty 2 percent inflation target.