Core consumer prices in Japan's capital rose 2.3 per cent in December from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, staying above the central bank's 2 per cent target and firming the case for further interest rate hikes. The increase in the Tokyo core consumer price index, which excludes volatile costs of fresh food, compared with a median market forecast for a 2.5 per cent rise. It slowed from a 2.8 per cent increase in November, due largely to a fall in utility bills. A separate index for Tokyo that strips away both fresh food and fuel costs - closely watched by the Bank of Japan as a measure of demand-driven prices ... (full story)