TOKYO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Japan's core consumer prices climbed 1.7 percent in August from a year earlier, staying below 2 percent for the eighth straight month, government data showed Friday.
The nationwide consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh food, grew at a slower pace than July's 1.8 percent increase as energy prices turned lower, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.
Core-core CPI, which strips away both energy and fresh food to gauge underlying price trends, rose 1.9 percent in the reporting month.
Food prices, excluding fresh items, rose 2.7 percent year on year, easing from a 3.0 percent gain in July. Higher prices for potato chips and other snacks were among the main drivers of the increase.
Energy costs, meanwhile, fell 0.7 percent from the previous year, reversing a 0.6 percent rise in July, with electricity and gasoline bills down 2.4 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. ■
