Japan consumer prices rise 3.1% in August

Figures just released show that Japan has seen inflation remain at 3 percent or above for an entire year now.

Rising food costs can be blamed for much of the increase.

The internal affairs ministry says the consumer price index, excluding fresh food, rose 3.1 percent in August from a year earlier. The figure hit 3 percent last September and has stayed above that level ever since.

Many grocery items were slapped with higher price tags last month. The food index jumped by over 9 percent.

Fresh items are excluded from the tally because they vary widely in price based on the weather.

There was some positive news in the mix. Electricity bills fell by more than 20 percent. That was the largest decline since January 1971, when comparable data became available.

The steep drop was due to the impact of government subsidies to reduce the burden on households and an overall decline in fuel prices.

Ministry officials say without the subsidies for electricity and city gas, the topline number would have been around a 4.1 percent rise.