Japan's core inflation accelerated in November as rising food and fuel costs hit households, data showed on Friday, keeping the central bank under pressure to raise interest rates.

The data, which came in the wake of the Bank of Japan's decision to maintain interest rates at 0.25% on Thursday, highlights broadening inflationary pressure that could prod the bank to raise borrowing costs further.

The nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), which includes oil products but excludes fresh food prices, rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier, government data showed, roughly in line with a median market forecast for a 2.6% gain.

It accelerated from a 2.3% rise in October, due partly to stubbornly high prices of rice and the phase-out of government subsidies to curb utility bills.