Japanese inflation rose slightly in August, with prices up 2.8 percent year-on-year, official data showed Friday, hours before the Bank of Japan was widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged.

Japan’s key inflation gauge accelerated in August for a fourth consecutive month, hours before the Bank of Japan is scheduled to wrap up its latest policy decision meeting.

The core consumer price index in Japan, which excludes fresh food but includes fuel costs, increased by 2.8% year-on-year in August 2024, posting the highest reading since February and..

Asian stocks have surged, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 index leading gains after Wall Street romped to records following the Federal Reserve’s big cut to interest rates

By Stella Qiu SYDNEY (Reuters) -Asian shares extended their rally on Friday, bathing in the afterglow of an outsized interest U.S. rate cut, while the yen edged higher as the Bank of Japan held rates steady and stayed upbeat on the economy.

Traders in Asia will also look toward August consumer prices index from Japan and Hong Kong, and central bank decisions from Bank of Japan and People's Bank of China.