Japan's core consumer prices rose at the fastest pace in more than two years in March, raising worries that higher energy and food costs could increasingly take a toll on households' purchasing power.
The core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food prices but includes fuel and broader energy costs, jumped 0.8% in March from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday.
The pace indicates the core CPI could near the Bank of Japan's 2% target in April as the impact of mobile phone fee cuts from that month last year fades from yearly comparisons.
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