URGENT: Japan's PM vows to do utmost to tackle negative impact of price hikes

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Tuesday to take all necessary measures to tackle the negative impact of recent price hikes through achieving wage growth in collaboration with the public and private sectors.

"We are now at a critical juncture in terms of whether we can guide Japan's economy into a cycle of growth, in which sustainable wage and investment increases will be repeated," Kishida said in a speech at Kyodo News headquarters in Tokyo.

© Kyodo News