Consumer confidence fell for the first time in three months in June as households grew concerned about living conditions and wages, the government said Tuesday.
The Cabinet Office's confidence index, based on households of two or more people, came to 46.6, down 1.7 from the reading in May. A reading below 50 indicates pessimists outnumber optimists.
In its assessment of the figure, the Cabinet Office termed consumer confidence as "nearly flat," downgrading its description for the first time since December. In May, it said confidence was showing signs of improvement.
The survey was conducted on 6,720 households on June 15, of which 6,710 responded.
A Cabinet Office official said the headline number doesn't necessarily mean that consumer sentiment has weakened. In fact, it suggested that the dip may just be a reaction to the strong reading of 48.3 in May, which was the highest since last August.
In Tokyo, meanwhile, the confidence index dropped 1.5 point from May to 47.5.
Same assessment
The government kept its overall assessment of the economy unchanged for the second straight month Tuesday, after raising it in June for the first time in 11 months on higher personal spending and job conditions.
"The economy is recovering at a moderate pace, while some signs are seen of coming out of a weak situation," the Cabinet Office said.