Japan's regional economies showed signs of improvement in October, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Monday.
Economic assessments conducted in seven of the 10 regions resulted in upgrades from the previous survey, conducted in June.
The seven regions are Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai, Hokuriku, Kinki, Shikoku and Kyushu.
Of the seven, the Tohoku, Tokai, Hokuriku and Kyushu regions showed either "signs of improvement" or were "gradually recovering," according to the survey.
The economic assessment of the other three regions were revised upward to "flat" from "weakening" in the previous survey, the report says.
Solid output in the automobile and electronic parts and devices industries is viewed as the main engine driving the recovery trend.
Many of the firms surveyed, however, voiced concern over a possible further appreciation in the yen and over a slowdown in U.S. economic growth, according to the report.
The economy in the Chugoku region remained flat, unchanged from the previous survey, it says.
Only the Hokkaido region appears to be lagging behind the recovery trend.