A measure of the public assessment of the current situation of the Japanese economy improved further in September to the highest level in eight months, survey data from the Cabinet Office showed on Wednesday.
The current conditions index of the Economy Watchers' Survey rose to 47.1 in September from 46.7 in August. However, any score below 50 indicates pessimism.
Household-related activities rose by 0.5 points to 46.6, while the corporate activity-related measures dropped by 0.5 points to 48.0 due to the contraction in the manufacturing sector.
The outlook index that signals future activity strengthened to a 9-month high of 48.5 from 47.5 in the previous month, as both household and corporate activity-related conditions improved.