On a year, the biggest price increases were reported for fuel, light and water charges (+5.8 percent), miscellaneous (+3.4 percent), food (+2 percent), culture and recreation (+1.6 percent), transportation and communication (+1.3 percent) and Furniture and household utensils (+2.1 percent). Cost of housing (-0.3 percent) and medical care (-0.5 percent) decreased
Japan's core consumer prices which includes oil products but excludes fresh food prices rose 1.3 percent in February from a year earlier, posting a ninth straight month of gains.
The so-called core-core inflation index, which excludes food and energy prices rose 0.8 percent in the year to February.
The consumer price index for Ku-area of Tokyo in March 2014 (preliminary) was 99.8 (2010=100), up 0.4% from the previous month, and up 1.3% over the year. Core consumer prices in Tokyo, available a month before the nationwide data, rose 1.0 percent in March from a year earlier. That followed a 0.9 percent rise in February.
