Japanese consumer prices probably fell in March, due mainly to reductions in public utility charges, according to economists in a Reuters poll on Friday. In February, the index fell 0.4 percent, which was the fastest pace of decline in nearly two years. "Nationwide core CPI will continue declining as downward pressure from falls in prices of rice and cuts in electricity, gas and land-line phone charges exceeded upward pressure from higher prices of petrol," said Takehiro Sato, economist at Morgan Stanley.