TOKYO : Core inflation in Japan’s capital slowed for the second straight month in December as cost-push price pressures continued to ease, data showed on Tuesday, taking some pressure off the central bank to rush into exiting ultra-loose monetary policy. The Tokyo inflation data, closely watched as a leading indicator of nationwide price trends, is among key factors the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will scrutinise at the next policy-setting meeting on Jan. 22-23. Separate data showed household spending fell for the ninth straight month in November, underscoring the fragile nature of Japan’s economy that may also keep the BOJ cautious about phasing out its massive stimulus too soon. Tokyo’s core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes fuel costs, rose 2.1 per cent in December from a year earlier, government data showed, matching a median market forecast. It followed a 2.3 per cent rise in November and matched a low hit in June 2022. The so-called “core core” index that strips away both fresh food and fuel prices – closely watched …