Japan's Key CPI Falls 1.1% in May

Japan's key consumer price index fell a record 1.1 percent in May from a year earlier for the third straight month of decrease, the government said Friday.

The fall of 1.1 percent, which matches average market expectations, is the biggest decline since data became available in January 1970, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The core nationwide CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food prices, stood at 100.5 against the base of 100 for 2005, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

The core CPI for Tokyo's 23 wards in June fell 1.3 percent from a year before to 100, the ministry said. That compares with the average projection of a 1.0 percent decrease.

Consumer prices in Tokyo are seen as a leading indicator of prices across Japan.