Tokyo's consumer prices climbed more than 2 percent for a fifth straight month in March, led by a record surge in rice prices.



The internal affairs ministry says the consumer price index for the capital rose a preliminary 2.4 percent from a year earlier. That's up 0.2 percentage points from February.



Tokyo's CPI, which doesn't include fresh food, has been above the Bank of Japan's 2 percent inflation target since November.



Rice prices jumped by almost 90 percent from the same month last year, the biggest increase since the government started keeping comparable data in 1971. Tokyo rice prices have now set year-on-year record gains for six straight months.



Food items made from the grain also cost more. Onigiri rice ball prices climbed 11.8 percent and restaurant sushi by 8.7 percent.



The increase in fresh food prices for March was lower than the prior month, but remained on an uptrend with a gain of 12.9 percent.



The Tokyo CPI is considered a leading indicator of nationwide inflation, which will be released on April 18th.