Fuel, up 3.1 percent year over year; Education, up 0.4; and Transportation and communication, up 0.8 percent year over year, contributed the most to the increase in inflation.
Furniture and household utensils, down 2.0 percent; Culture and recreation, down 0.8 percent year over year, and Medical care, down 0.7 percent year over year, were responsible for the largest downward pressure on inflation.
The consumer price index for Ku-area of Tokyo in December 2012(preliminary) was 98.7(2010=100), the same level as the previous month, and down 0.6 percent over the year.