Overall consumer prices in Japan were up 3.0 percent on year in August, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Tuesday.
That exceeded expectations for 2.9 percent and was up from 2.6 percent in July.
On a monthly basis, overall inflation rose 0.4 percent - easing from 0.5 percent in the previous month.
Core CPI, which excludes volatile food prices, climbed an annual 2.8 percent - again exceeding forecasts for an increase of 2.7 and accelerating from 2.4 percent a month earlier.
