Japan’s January Tokyo core CPI (excluding fresh food) eased from 2.3% to 2.0% yoy, undershooting expectations of 2.2% and marking a 15-month low. Core-core CPI (excluding fresh food and energy) also eased from 2.3% to 2.0% yoy. Headline inflation slowed more sharply from 2.0% to 1.5%.
The slowdown was driven largely by one-off factors. Food inflation excluding fresh food decelerated for a fifth straight month, while energy prices fell -4.2% yoy after gasoline subsidies and the abolition of a provisional fuel tax surcharge. Gasoline prices dropped -14.8%, with electricity and city gas bills also declining. Base effects from last year’s food price surge further weighed on the data.
Despite the softer print, the figures are unlikely to derail the BoJ’s normalization. While fuel subsidies may push core inflation below target in coming months, policymakers are expected to focus on whether firms continue to pass through higher import costs from a weak yen—an outcome that would keep underlying inflation pressures alive.
 eased from 2.3% to 2.0% yoy, undershooting expectations of 2.2% and marking a 15-month low. Core-core CPI (excluding fresh food and energy) also eased from 2.3% to 2.0% yoy. Headline inflation slowed more sharply from 2.0% to 1.5%.){kind=link}