TOKYO, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Core consumer prices in Japan's capital grew 2.4 percent in August from a year earlier over soaring rice prices, government data showed Friday.

The core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food prices, stood at 107.9 for Tokyo's 23 densely populated wards, against the 2020 base of 100, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Seen as a leading indicator of nationwide trends in Japan, the figure expanded from a 2.2 percent rise in July, primarily driven by a surge in rice prices, according to the ministry.

Electricity costs and urban gas prices surged 24.2 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively, after government subsidies ended temporarily.

Prices of food excluding fresh items went up 2.7 percent. Rice prices, which jumped 26.3 percent, experienced the largest rise in about 20 years, fueled by poor crop growth due to last summer's heatwave and increased demand from the restaurant industry.

Core-core CPI, which excludes both fresh food and energy costs, climbed 1.6 percent year on year. Enditem

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