Japan's inflation slows to 2.8% in Sept as energy impact lessens

Personnel costs in the restaurant industry rising? ¥970 an hour to ¥973?

Wow

So….without govt fuel subsidies the core CPI would’ve risen 3.8%, even more than the August increase.

The headline here is not accurate at all.

My local 100 shops have become my best friends.

The government plans to draw up an inflation-relief package, with an income tax cut floated as a viable possibility

They will screw this up. No question.

companies will speed up price hikes if crude oil prices continue to rise and the yen remains weak.

Yes to both of those methinks, until policy stance change.

key factor in determining whether stable inflation can be attained, backed by solid domestic demand.

Stable prices thanks, not stable inflation. The economic models used by japans policy makers are a disaster.

Prices seem much higher and with shrinkflation as well. Feels closer to 30%.

Malarkey! I'm waving the malarkey flag on this "report"!

This article belongs in the "disinformation" category.

And SHRINKFLATION” surges ahead at about 50%…. Same price… half as much as 2 years ago per packet. 1000’s of items/products.

SHRINKFLATION surges!

Right! Exactly.

2.8% + all that shrink percent = more like 28%. More like the real unbaked numbers isnt it?

Be serious.

Did I just fall out of the proverbial tree and land on my head? There is so much "double talk" in this article that it's making my head spin.

Japan's core consumer prices rose 2.8 percent in September, the slowest pace in about a year, amid the moderating effects of fuel price rises, though the increase was still well above the Bank of Japan's inflation target, government data showed Friday.

Core consumer prices rose 2.8% because of HIGHER fuel prices? (Head scratching/wall banging No. 1)

Stripping away both energy and fresh food items, the so-called core-core CPI rose 4.2 percent, slowing slightly from a 4.3 percent rise in August.

(Head scratching/wall banging No. 2)

Take away increasing fresh food INCREASES and ENGERY INCREASES, and the core rose 4.2%,

Energy prices fell 11.7 percent, marking the sharpest drop in over seven years. Electricity prices tumbled 24.6 percent and city gas sank 17.5 percent, both the largest-ever drops.

(Head scratching/wall banging No.3 to maybe 100)

Electricity bills went up in nearly 75% of all households in Japan, some as much as 45% I believe it was, just a couple of months ago, and prices have not changed, there are just subsidies becoming available from the government to ease the huge increases. Hell we got a post card from the local utility about this too!

Fuel prices are rising, so the cost to produce electricity increases as well, because of imported fuel costs related to it. Gas at the pumps hasnt changed much either.

Government subsidies to lower fuel costs have helped ease some inflationary pressures. Without them, core CPI would have risen 3.8 percent in September, according to the ministry.

Yep noted in the previous paragraph, but still, higher prices! Oh and this is tax money!

Food prices, meanwhile, gained 8.8 percent.

(Head scratching/wall banging to... just call the damn ambulance!

Like a wise man once said, "If you can't dazzle em' with your brilliance, baffle them with your bull!"

Meanwhile the Bank of Japan had previously said it would consider raising interest rates only once inflation hit 2%.

BOJ:

Do they understand that even a modest increase could send the USD (and energy prices for Japanese importers) lower helping to reduce supply driven inflation? Its like amateur hour at the Finance Ministry aka Bank of Japan.

I cannot for the life of me understand how they can say energy prices have dropped. Yes, finally we are seeing some relief at the pump as gas has now dropped from Y190 to Y177, but that is because the gov't is paying for it with our tax dollars. I'm pretty sure our gas and electricity have not gone down, neither our water, and after a trip to the supermarket with my wife to buy rice, was shocked to see how much it has gone up recently, and it is not 2.8%, it is more like 25%!