TOKYO -- Cheap fuel, costlier food and sluggish demand are balancing each other out, resulting in stable consumer prices in Japan even as the government seeks mild inflation.
The core consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh-food prices, rose 2% on the year in February, according to official figures released Friday. But actual growth comes to zero after the 2 percentage point boost estimated by the Bank of Japan from the April 2014 consumption tax hike is taken out.