TOKYO, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Japan's core consumer price index (CPI) in April increased 1.4 percent from a year earlier, government data showed Friday.
The core CPI, excluding volatile fresh food costs, slowed to a four-year low following a 1.8 percent rise in March, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The "core-core CPI," which strips away both energy and fresh food to reflect underlying price trends, rose 1.9 percent in April after a 2.4 percent gain in March.
Energy costs fell 3.9 percent year on year, after a drop of 5.7 percent in March, with gasoline prices plunging 9.7 percent and electricity bills declining 2.6 percent.
Prices for food, excluding fresh items, rose 4.1 percent in April, slowing from a 5.2 percent rise in the previous month. ■
