Japan mulling tobacco tax hike for reconstruction funds -Yomiuri

TOKYO, July 7 (Reuters) - The Japanese government is considering a hike in the nation's tobacco tax to help fund reconstruction costs, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday.

The hike, which the government hopes to implement as early as the next fiscal year, could bring in as much as 200 billion yen ($2.5 billion) annually, the newspaper said. ($1 = 80.930 Japanese Yen) (Reporting by James Topham; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)