Prime Minister Taro Aso ordered a third spending plan aimed at easing what may be the nation's worst recession since World War II.
"We cannot avoid the fact that there is a risk of further economic downturn," Aso said at a news conference Friday in Tokyo. "We must act before the risk becomes reality."
Aso, whose approval rating has plunged ahead of an election that must be called by September, has announced ¥10 trillion in spending since becoming prime minister six months ago.