Japan's wholesale prices rose 4.9% in April from a year earlier, exceeding expectations. The spike is driven by higher oil import costs due to the Iran war.
The data puts pressure on the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates as soon as June.
The corporate goods price index (CGPI) climbed sharply from a revised 2.9% gain in March, beating the median forecast of 3.0%.
The yen-based import price index surged 17.5% in April from a year earlier, up from a revised 8.0% rise in March.
