— Japan Sep Core CPI +0.2% Y/Y Vs Aug +0.2%
— Japan Sep Core CPI MNI Poll Median Forecast: +0.2%
— Central Tokyo Oct CPI -0.4% Y/Y Vs Sep -0.1%
— Japan Sep CPI Energy Costs +6.4% Y/Y Vs Aug +7.1%
— Japan Sep CPI Pushed Up By Tobacco, Gasoline Price Gains

TOKYO (MNI) – Japan’s core consumer prices rose 0.2% in September
from a year earlier, marking the third straight y/y rise, thanks largely
to higher costs of gasoline and utilities, data released Friday by the
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed.

A recent government survey recently that 67.2% of people now expect
higher prices in a year’s time, but the Bank of Japan said Thursday the
core consumer inflation will stay in the lower end of its zero to 1%
target range throughout fiscal 2013.

In July, Japan’s core CPI, which excludes perishables but includes
energy, posted the first year-on-year gain since December 2008.

The September core reading matched the median economist forecast in
a Market News International survey.

Total national CPI was unchanged y/y in September following a 0.2%
rise in August.

Higher gasoline, heating oil and electricity costs as well as
cigarette price hikes last October offset continued markdowns in TVs and
other consumer electronics.

Overall energy costs in September rose 6.4% y/y, after rising 7.1%
in August.

National CPI excluding food and energy, or the U.S. style core CPI,
fell 0.4% in September from a year earlier following a 0.5% fall in
August.

Meanwhile, central Tokyo core CPI fell 0.4% year-on-year in October
after a 0.1% decline in September.

CPI figures date to 1970 under the 2010 base year.

tokyo@marketnews.com
** Market News International Tokyo Newsroom: 81-3-5403-4835 **

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