Japan's inflation rose for the 1st time in 4 months in February

TOKYO -- Japan's inflation rate rose for the first time in four months in February, official data released Friday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications shows.

In the first release of monthly inflation data since the Bank of Japan moved away from negative interest rates, the country's core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, rose 2.8% from a year earlier, up from 2% in January. The gain came with energy subsidies introduced by the government in February 2023 losing their effect to mask overall price increases.