According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, prices rose 3.4 percent in April from a year earlier.
The pace of the increase in the nationwide consumer price index, excluding fresh food prices because of their volatility, comes on the heels of a 3.1 percent rise in March, the statistics bureau said.
The core consumer price index has now remained above the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) 2 percent inflation target for the 13th consecutive month, the data showed.
The core-core CPI, a gauge closest to the U.S. measure of core inflation, which strips away both energy and food prices, increased 4.1 percent, marking the first time since 1981, it has topped the 4 percent level, the ministry also said.
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