CORRECTED: Japan maintains economic assessment of picking up in April

Japan on Tuesday left its monthly economic assessment unchanged for April, reflecting resilient consumption and corporate spending, although weakening overseas demand is clouding the outlook.

In the April economic report, the government said the economy is “picking up moderately,” although some weaknesses are seen, using the same expression for the fourth straight month. It lifted its view on imports for the first time in nine months, now saying that they are “flat” rather than weakening, as described in March.

The Cabinet Office acknowledged that slowing overseas economies caused by monetary ...