Japan's core inflation accelerated in August, industrial output rose more than expected and demand for labor remained at its strongest in over 40 years in a further sign of solid momentum in the world's third-largest economy.
The flurry of data should bolster optimism about the outlook for growth, though Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to call a snap election has raised some uncertainty over economic policy.
There was also some uneasiness about monetary policy after a summary of the Bank of Japan's most recent meeting showed one board member wanted an expansion of stimulus as consumer prices remain distant from the central bank's 2 percent inflation target.
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