Overall consumer prices in Japan were up 0.3 percent on year in December, according to rttnews.

That was in line with expectations and down from 0.8 percent in November.

Core consumer prices - which exclude volatiles prices of food - were up an annual 0.7 percent. That was shy of expectations for 0.8 percent and down from 0.9 percent in the previous month.

On a monthly basis, overall inflation was down 0.2 percent and core CPI eased 0.1 percent.