Tokyo has struggled to achieve the two percent inflation rate thought crucial to boosting the world's third largest economy. The Bank of Japan last month dropped its timeframe for achieving the longstanding inflation goal. Government data released Friday showed the core inflation rate, which excludes volatile fresh food prices, stood at 0.7 percent in April, down from 0.9 percent in the previous month. With fresh food and energy stripped out, prices rose by even less -- just 0.4 percent in April, the ministry said. The Bank of Japan has signalled it has no plans to drop the policy, despite moves by other major economies.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 18, 2018 00:33 UTC