The key gauge of consumer prices in Tokyo fell 0.3 percent in September from a year earlier, marking a record 48th straight month of decline, the government said in a preliminary report Friday.

The consumer price index for Tokyo's 23 wards, excluding prices of perishable foods, stood at 97.6 against the 2000 base of 100, the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry said.

The index also dropped 0.1 percent from the previous month.

Consumer prices in Tokyo are regarded as a leading indicator of prices nationwide.

The margin of decline from a year earlier for the core CPI remained unchanged at 0.3 percent for August, the ministry said.

Including perishables, the index slipped 0.5 percent from a year earlier to 97.5, the ministry said.

Prices of fresh vegetables, including cucumbers and green soybeans, rose 8.4 percent in September, apparently due to the cooler-than-average summer, a ministry official told reporters.

At the same time, the cool summer temperatures contributed to the poor quality of fruit harvests, and prices of fresh fruit dropped 0.7 percent in the reporting month, the ministry said.

"As a result, the consumer prices do not clearly reflect the impact of the cool summer," the official said.