Retail sales in the world's third-largest economy rose an annual 0.9 percent in June, beating expectations for a 0.5 percent rise but still slowing sharply from a 3 percent spike in the previous month. The report comes after the government recently downgraded its forecasts for consumer prices. It's now expecting a 0.6 percent rise for the 2015 fiscal year, compared to previous estimates for a 1.4 percent increase, due to a continued declines in oil prices. Japan is one of the largest net importers of crude oil so a lower energy bill means consumer prices rise more slowly, a major obstacle to the central bank's goal ... (full story)