Economy improving region by region: BOJ

Tokyo

THE Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised its economic assessment for three of Japan's nine regions in a quarterly report on Monday, signalling that the benefits of its stimulus programme was broadening.

The central bank kept intact its optimistic assessment for the remaining six regions, stressing that solid demand at home and overseas are underpinning output and the job market. "All regions said their economies are either recovering or recovering moderately," the BOJ said in the report, issued at a quarterly meeting of the bank's regional branch managers.