Japan’s consumer inflation slowed slightly in February due to energy subsidies but maintained the uptrend keeping interest-rate hike expectations intact.

Japan's core inflation hit 3.0% in February and an index stripping away the effect of fuel rose at the fastest pace in nearly a year, a sign of broadening price pressure that reinforces market expectations of further interest rate hikes.

Overall, both indices remained well above the Bank of Japan's 2% inflation target, validating the central bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda's declaration of victory over decades of defla