TOKYO, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Japan's core consumer prices rose 1.8 percent in July from a year earlier, picking up pace from June, government data showed Friday.
The rise was partly attributable to higher food prices and energy bills.
The increase in the nationwide consumer price index (CPI), excluding volatile fresh food costs, came after a 1.6 percent gain in June and stayed below 2 percent for the seventh straight month, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The index rose 1.9 percent year on year in January.
Core-core CPI, which strips away both energy and fresh food to reflect underlying price trends, climbed 1.9 percent in the reporting month.
Food prices excluding fresh items were up 3.0 percent, reflecting higher prices for potato chips and other snacks, though the pace eased slightly from a 3.1 percent increase in June.
Energy costs, meanwhile, edged up 0.6 percent year on year, reversing a 0.4 percent decline in June. Within the category, propane gas prices jumped 6.5 percent, and kerosene surged 15.7 percent, while electricity and gasoline bills fell 0.1 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. ■
