Consumer inflation in the Tokyo metropolitan area eased slightly in July, but stubbornly high food prices continue to strain household budgets.

The cost of living in Tokyo cooled for a second month on the back of some temporary factors even as food inflation stayed hot, keeping pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after voter frustration over high prices led to his historic election setback Sunday.

Tokyo Core CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food prices, grew 2.9% year-on-year in July, compared to expectations of 3.0%, and cooled from the 3.1% seen in the prior month, government data showed on Friday.

Core consumer inflation in Tokyo remained well above the Bank of Japans (BOJ) 2% target in July, reinforcing expectations that another interest rate hike could come later this year. Government data released Friday