Japan CPI
CPI - consumer price index
The official CPI (consumer price index) for Japan is maintained by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication and is available in Japanese on the government web site. The most recently announced figure (July 2010) shows a 1.1 percent decline. This excludes the volatile priced fresh food products from the base index calculation. The July CPI figures represents 17 straight months in which a decline in the CPI was recorded.
Japan's CPI construction
The CPI uses 2005 as the 100 base. It consists of a basket of retail prices for 584 daily living products and services purchased by averaged Japanese consumer for a fixed market basket. The basic data come from the government's "Retail Price Survey" of statistical research reports gathered from 167 locations. Weights for items in the basket are based on the governments "Family Income and Expenditure Survey" reports. Every 5 years the basket constituents are reviewed and their weights rebalanced to reflect changing consumption patterns. CPI calculations were started in 1955.
Consumers' cost of owner-occupied dwellings (4 items in the basket) are calculated using the rental-equivalence approach (imputed rental value). This is different from the U.S. method so when making comparisons adjustments should be made for housing expenditures, rents and mortgage payments.
Under this same Market Data tab, see JMR's own simplified consumer basket, Monthly Indicators, which gives a snapshot view of consumer buying patterns
here.
