The vice finance minister said Thursday that Japan's real economy is firming, although it is currently being weighed down by geopolitical concerns.
"My understanding is that there are signs that the real economy is firming," Vice Finance Minister Masakazu Hayashi said. "There are some good data, including the machinery order figures announced yesterday."
Japan's core private-sector machinery orders rose a seasonally adjusted 7 percent in January over December for the second consecutive monthly expansion.