Japan's wholesale prices rose 3.6 percent in September from a year earlier, marking their largest increase in 25 years, led by surging prices of iron, steel and plastics, in addition to higher crude oil prices, the Bank of Japan said Friday.
Wholesale prices, as measured by the BOJ's corporate goods price index, came to 101.9 against a base of 100 for 2000, the central bank said in a preliminary report.
The margin of growth was the largest since the 3.8 percent rise marked in March 1981, near the end of the second oil crisis. The index rose for the 31st consecutive month in September, a BOJ official said.
Wholesale prices for the month climbed 0.3 percent from August.