URGENT: Japan's April core consumer prices up 2.2% on year

Japan's core consumer prices rose 2.2 percent in April from a year earlier, government data showed Friday.

The increase in the nationwide core consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh food, followed a 2.6 percent gain in March, and the key gauge of inflation remained above the Bank of Japan's 2 percent target for the 25th straight month.

© Kyodo News