TOKYO, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan's core consumer price index (CPI) fell for the fifth consecutive month in July, down by a record 2.2 percent year-on-year, as energy costs went further down, said the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Friday.

    The key CPI, which excludes prices for fresh food but includes those for fuel, read 100.1, compared with the gauge of 100 for the base year of 2005, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

    The core CPI for Tokyo, which is deemed as the leading indicator of prices across Japan, dropped by 1.9 percent year-on-year to 99.7, said the report.

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