TOKYO, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The core consumer price index (CPI) for Tokyo's 23 wards climbed 3.6 percent in May from a year earlier, logging the biggest rise in over two years, official data showed Friday.
The core CPI in Japan's capital, excluding volatile fresh food items, went up for the 45th consecutive month, rising at the biggest pace since a 4.3 percent jump marked in January 2023, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The Tokyo index, viewed as an indicator of nationwide trends, was driven up by soaring rice prices in May, which skyrocketed 93.7 percent after posting a record 93.8 percent surge in April, the biggest year-on-year increase since comparable data became available in 1971.
Among rice-related items, prices of sushi served in restaurants and those of rice balls went up 8.3 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively.
The core-core CPI, which strips away the effects of both fresh food and fuel costs to reflect underlying price trends, was up 3.3 percent in May from a year earlier, the ministry said. ■