TOKYO - Japan’s nationwide consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 3.0 percent in October compared with the same month a year earlier, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, with the pace of inflation expanding for the second consecutive month as the index reached 112.1 and broad-based price revisions pushed up the cost of food items across the country, including a 53.4 percent jump in coffee beans and a 40.2 percent rise in rice that continued the upward momentum seen since the autumn.
The October figure marked the 50th consecutive month of price increases since September 2021, reflecting persistent inflationary pressure driven in part by steep rises in daily necessities, while chocolate climbed 36.9 percent, eggs rose 13.6 percent, and chicken increased 9.0 percent.
Telecommunication charges were up 14.5 percent as revisions to major carriers’ rate plans resulted in effective price hikes, and accommodation prices increased 8.5 percent amid firm inbound tourism demand. Meanwhile, high school tuition fees fell sharply by 94.1 percent due to the government’s new support program launched this year for households earning around 9.1 million yen or more.
In a separate release, the Ministry of Finance reported that Japan’s exports to the United States declined for the seventh straight month in October, with the value of shipments falling as the impact of the Trump administration’s high-tariff measures continued to weigh on key sectors, including automobiles, which posted a 7.5 percent decrease.
Source: テレ東BIZ
