Japan's core inflation tops 2 pct for 1st time in 9 months

TOKYO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Japan's core consumer prices rose 2.1 percent in September from a year earlier, exceeding the Bank of Japan's 2 percent inflation target for the first time in nine months, government data showed Friday.

The nationwide consumer price index (CPI), excluding fresh food, accelerated from a 1.7 percent year-on-year increase in August, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The core-core CPI, which excludes both fresh food and energy, rose 2.4 percent in September from a year earlier, reflecting underlying price pressures.

Food prices, excluding fresh food, increased 2.9 percent year on year, up from a 2.7 percent rise in August.

Energy prices, meanwhile, fell 0.6 percent year on year, following a 0.7 percent decline in August. Gasoline prices dropped 2.6 percent, while electricity bills fell 2.4 percent.