Japan’s Inflation Rate Slows More Than Forecast in January

Japan’s inflation slowed more than forecast in January, highlighting central bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda’s challenge in reflating the world’s third-biggest economy.

Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.2 percent from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said Friday. That was less than the median projection of 2.3 percent. Stripped of the effect of sales-tax increase last April, core inflation -- the Bank of Japan’s key measure -- was 0.2 percent.