Tokyo’s consumer inflation remained flat in November as food prices continued to rise across the capital.
Preliminary figures released on Friday by the internal affairs ministry show Tokyo’s consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 2.8 percent from a year earlier. This is the same level as in October.
Food prices continue to climb, rising 6.5 percent from a year earlier. Rice prices were up 37.9 percent, coffee beans surged 63.4 percent, chocolate jumped 32.5 percent and onigiri rice balls were up 17.3 percent.
Electricity fees also ticked up as subsidies from the national government ended with the September billing period.
Meanwhile, egg prices were the highest for November since data became available in 1993.
An industry group says the average benchmark wholesale price for medium-sized eggs in Tokyo was 340 yen, or about 2 dollars, per kilogram for the month.
The agriculture ministry attributes the higher prices to the effects of a bird flu outbreak earlier this year.
AloJapan.com