TOKYO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Core inflation in Tokyo continued to rise in May as utility costs expanded, government data showed.
The Tokyo core consumer price index, which excludes volatile fresh food but includes fuel costs, rose 1.9 percent in May from a year earlier, accelerating from a 1.6 percent rise in April, according to the internal affairs ministry.
Seen as a leading indicator of nationwide trends in Japan, the Tokyo data released on Friday stood below the Bank of Japan's 2-percent target.
The acceleration was largely pushed up by utility costs related to renewable energy promotion, as electricity bills increased for the first time in 16 months by rising 13.1 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, prices of food excluding fresh items rose 3.2 percent, unchanged from the previous month. ■
