The Finance Ministry on Thursday upgraded its economic assessments for five of the country's 11 regions, noting that private consumption has remained firm despite inflation.
In a quarterly report for October, the ministry raised its views for the Kanto, Hokuriku, Tokai, Shikoku and Okinawa regions. The views for the remaining six regions were unchanged.
By category, the ministry raised its views on private consumption in Kanto, Hokuriku and Shikoku. It quoted a supermarket operator in the Kyushu region as saying that rice sales by volume have not declined despite higher prices due to supply shortages.
Due to the scorching summer heat and typhoons, sales of beverages and disaster prevention goods increased at supermarkets and home improvement stores.
Production activity in Tokai was rated higher as the effects of output and shipment suspensions at some automakers eased.
The employment situation was assessed as unchanged in all 11 regions.
The nationwide economic assessment was unchanged for the sixth consecutive quarter, indicating that the country's economy is recovering moderately.
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