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Overall consumer prices in Japan were up 2.6 percent on year in December, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Friday - in line with expectations and down from 2.8 percent in November.
The December reading touched an 18-month low, although it remains above the Bank of Japan's target of 2 percent.
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, overall inflation eased 0.1 percent in December after slipping 0.2 percent in the previous month.
Core CPI, which excludes volatile food costs, climbed an annual 2.3 percent - in line with forecasts and down from 2.5 percent a month earlier.
