Japan keeps economic view intact, lowers assessment of inflation

Tokyo

JAPAN'S government kept its assessment of the economy unchanged in August but offered a slightly more downbeat view on consumer inflation than last month, as prices slid on weak household spending and the strong yen pushed down import costs.

The government left unchanged its assessment that exports and factory output were flat, as well as its view that household spending was moving sideways on static consumer sentiment. "Japan's economy continues to recover moderately, though weakness in some areas can be seen recently," the Cabinet Office said in a monthly report for August released on Wednesday. The assessment was unchanged from last month.

The report also said consumer prices were "flat", a gloomier view than las…