Tokyo Core Inflation Hits 6-Month High of 1.9%
2026-07-30 23:35
By
Chusnul Chotimah
1 min. read
Core consumer prices in Tokyo’s central wards increased 1.9% yoy in July 2026, following a 1.6% rise in the previous month and exceeding expectations of 1.7%.
It was the second consecutive month of acceleration and marked the fastest increase since January, signaling broadening price pressures stemming from the Middle East conflict.
However, inflation remained below the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for a sixth consecutive month, as fuel subsidies and favorable base effects helped limit the impact of higher raw material costs linked to the conflict.
Meanwhile, CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food and energy costs and is viewed by the BoJ as a better gauge of underlying inflation, increased 2.0% yoy, up from 1.9% in June, marking the highest reading in four months.
The BoJ raised interest rates by 25 bps to their highest level since September 1995 at its June meeting, marking the first rate hike since last December, in an effort to prevent higher oil prices from fueling inflation.