Year-on-year, cost of food rose at a slower 1.7 percent, compared to a 2.4 percent growth in December. While prices of fuel, light and water charges dropped 6.7 percent and cost of transportation and communication fell 2.4 percent.
Additional upward pressure came from: culture and recreation (+1.9 percent); clothes and footwear (+1.7 percent); education (+1.4 percent); furniture and household utensils (+1 percent); miscellaneous goods and services (+0.7 percent); and medical care (+0.6 percent). By contrast, cost of housing fell slightly by 0.1 percent.
Excluding fresh food items, consumer prices were flat while excluding food and energy prices rose by 0.7 percent.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices declined further by 0.4 percent compared to a 0.1 percent drop in December.
In Tokyo, consumer prices rose by 0.1 percent year-on-year in January. Core consumer prices which exclude fresh food fell 0.1 percent.