Slower Japan Inflation Highlights BOJ's Reflation Task

``"The data suggest that firms have now mostly passed on the higher sales tax, and inflationary pressure has started to diminish," Marcel Thieliant, a Singapore-based economist at Capital Economics, wrote in an e-mailed note today. Underlying inflation will fall below 1 percent in coming months, he said. Norinchukin's Minami said the central bank will have to consider adding to its unprecedented easing if core inflation drops below 1 percent.''