Japan's wholesale prices dropped 3.6% in August from a year earlier for the 17th straight monthly fall amid the yen's advance and weakness in crude oil and other commodity markets, Bank of Japan data showed Monday. 
The index of corporate goods prices stood at 98.9 against the 2010 base of 100, the central bank said in a preliminary report. 
The latest data underscores the difficulty the BOJ faces in achieving its 2 percent inflation target in fiscal 2017 despite its bold monetary easing and a negative interest rate policy. Wholesale prices tend to affect consumer prices