Japan inflation cools to 2.1%, lowest since March 2022, but rice prices loom large ahead of election

An employee at the Celsior Wadamachi supermarket in Yokohama, Japan, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. Soaring food costs are a key component driving broader inflation higher, with data Friday expected to show consumer price growth has stayed above the central bank’s 2% target for four straight calendar years. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan’s headline inflation…

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Nikkei 225, Kospi, Hang Seng Index

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets mostly climbed Friday, tracking Wall Street gains as geopolitical concerns eased and investors looked ahead to the Bank of Japan’s decision. The central bank is expected to…

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