Consumer prices in Japan climbed for the second consecutive month in April, rising 0.3 percent compared to a year earlier, official figures showed Friday. The core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food, stood at 103.3 in April against a base of 100 for 2010, dpa quoted the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as saying. The inflation rate stood at 0.2 percent in March, up from zero in February, still far below the 2-percent target set by the Bank of Japan. The rate has slowed partly due to plunging oil prices. Japan's central bank has struggled to set the economy on a path out of the deflation which has plagued the country for nearly two decades.
