Japan manufacturers' mood up: Reuters Tankan

Tokyo

CONFIDENCE among Japanese manufacturers bounced in December for the first time in four months and it is seen inching up ahead, a Reuters poll found, suggesting that the economy is slowly emerging from a recession.

In a sign of still-sluggish domestic demand, however, the service sector's mood slipped to the lowest level in a year as retailers were hit by weakness in private consumption, which accounts for about 60 per cent of the economy.