Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose an annual 0.6%, the first gain since 2008, the statistics bureau said.
Part of the increase in the cost of living in April stemmed from the advance in global commodities. Foodstuff prices, excluding fresh food, also rose, as the cost of flour and other commodities increased and because of supply disruptions due to the March 11 disaster.
The consumer price index for Ku-area of Tokyo in May 2011(preliminary) was 99.0(2005=100), down 0.1% from the previous month, and down 0.1% over the year