Japan's consumer price index up for 3rd straight month

Japan's key consumer price index climbed 0.2 % in April from a year earlier for the third consecutive month of increase, the government said Friday. The index, which excludes fresh food, stood at 100.2 against the 2010 base of 100, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in a statement carried by Kyodo news agency today. Falling prices have been a major concern in Japan, suggesting persistent deflationary pressure in its economy. To combat the deflation, the Bank of Japan decided in February to set its price stability goal, aiming to stimulate a 1.0-per-cent increase in the consumer price index.