Core consumer prices, which exclude food and fuel, were flat in February but 2.3% higher than a year earlier.
In November, Japan's core consumer prices index, which excludes fresh food, fell 0.1%.
The spike in core consumer prices may prove to be a one-off.
Core consumer prices have been falling slightly for most of this year.
According to the latest data, the core consumer prices index, which excludes fresh food, fell 0.1% in November, from a year earlier.
Core U.S. consumer prices (discounting energy and food) rose a less than expected 0.1% in July, but the core inflation rate was 2.4%.
The rise in Japan's core consumer price index in April, which excludes food prices, was largely in line with expectations.
The Labor Department is reporting that the consumer prices were little changed in June, with core CPI up 0.2 percent, excluding food and energy.
The Fed, which favors monitoring core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, tried to show that consumer price inflation is an active concern.
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In April, headline consumer prices rose by 0.7%, a near-nine-year high, while core inflation, which excludes the volatile categories of food and energy, rose 0.4%, or 2.2% compared with a year earlier.
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