TOKYO -- Inflation in Japan is continuing to accelerate, hitting a 26-month high as more businesses pass on rising raw material and energy costs to consumers.
According to official data released on Friday, Japan's core consumer price index -- all items less fresh foods -- rose 0.8% in March from a year earlier, marking the sharpest rise since Jan. 2020. January's inflation rate was 0.2%, and February's was 0.6%.