Core consumer prices in Japan gained 4.0 percent in December from a year earlier, in their fastest acceleration since 1981, government data showed Friday.
The core consumer price index excluding volatile fresh food items was above the Bank of Japan's 2 percent inflation target for the ninth straight month, underscoring persisting inflationary pressure despite the central bank's view that it is only transitory.
For 2022, core CPI gained 2.3 percent from the year before, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.
