Falling fuel costs kept Japan’s core consumer prices unchanged in January from a year earlier, well below the central bank’s 2 percent target, highlighting the daunting task policymakers face in attempting to lift Japan out of stagnation.
A separate index by the Bank of Japan that strips away the effect of energy costs also showed inflation slowing, suggesting that weak consumption and falling import costs are discouraging firms from raising prices for a broad range of goods.
The data underscores the challenges the Bank of Japan (BOJ) faces, even after its shock decision last month to adopt negative interest rates, in generating a positive cycle in which rising corporate profits drive up wages and consumption.
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Craig Erlam
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