BOJ upgrades assessments of 4 of 9 Japan regional economies

The Bank of Japan on Thursday upgraded its assessments of four of the country’s nine regional economies as activity continued to pick up with no antivirus curbs in place, but higher inflation is casting a pall over the outlook for consumption.

In its quarterly report, the BOJ said many regional economies are either “picking up” or “picking up moderately,” helped by the easing of supply constraints and revived activity despite the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Kanto-Koshinetsu, which includes Tokyo, and the Kinki region centering on Osaka were among the upgraded areas.

Assessments were maintained...