Consumer prices went south for the 23rd straight month in January as deflation kept its hold on the world's No. 3 economy.
But the pace of decline slowed for the fourth consecutive month because of the recent upward march of food and fuel prices worldwide.
The country's core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, slipped 0.2 percent from a year earlier, the government said Friday.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.