Japanese consumer inflation slowed further in September, official data showed Friday, adding to concerns about Tokyo`s war on deflation.
The nation`s core consumer inflation, stripping out volatile fresh food prices, came in at 3.0 percent year-on-year, down from 3.1 percent in August, the internal affairs ministry said.
Prices rose from year-earlier levels largely because the government raised sales tax from 5.0 percent to 8.0 percent on April 1, which drove up retail prices.
But the increase appeared to be easing as inflation growth slowed from 3.3 percent in both July and June and a three-decade high of 3.4 percent in May.
Excluding the impact of the tax increase, the September rise in core consumer prices was 1.0 percent, according to a formula by the Bank of Japan (BoJ).
The rate is the half of the bank`s ambitious 2.0 percent inflation target for next year.
