Core consumer inflation has now stayed above the central bank's 2% target for 14 straight months, casting doubt on its view the recent cost-driven inflation will prove temporary.
"As the pass-through of rising costs runs its course, core consumer inflation will peak around summer," said Ryosuke Katagi, market economist at Mizuho Securities.
BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda has stressed the need to keep loose policy until inflation is sustainably around 2% and accompanied by wage hikes.
He has also said core consumer inflation will slow back below 2% by September or October, though sustained price rises have put that view into some doubt.
In its last projections made in April, the BOJ expected core consumer inflation to hit 1.8% in the current fiscal year ending in March 2024.
Persons:
Ryosuke, Stefan Angrick, Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Takahiko Wada, Jacqueline Wong
Organizations:
Mizuho Securities, Bank of Japan, Reuters, Moody's, Thomson
Locations:
TOKYO, Japan's, Tokyo