Consumer confidence improved in October on the back of lower gasoline prices and more job offers, following a decline the previous month.
The seasonally adjusted index of sentiment among households of two or more people was up 0.9 points from the previous month at 41.5, the Cabinet Office said. The rise followed a setback in September, which was attributed to falling stocks amid a slowdown in the Chinese economy.
The survey polls consumers for their economic outlook for the upcoming six months. A score below 50 suggests pessimists outnumber optimists.
The government kept intact its basic assessment of the index, saying consumer confidence is "leveling off."
Of the four components, consumers' views of their wellbeing rose 0.8 points to 39.6, while their assessment of income growth grew 0.6 points to 40.0.
Their view on employment and readiness to buy new durable goods increased 1.0 points to 45.9 and 1.2 points to 40.3, respectively.
In the reporting month, 81.0 percent of households said they expected consumer prices to rise in the year ahead, down 5.3 points from the previous month, the survey showed.
The survey followed government data showing that Japan's core consumer prices excluding fresh foods fell 0.1 percent in August from a year earlier, the first drop in more than two years.
The Cabinet Office survey, conducted on Oct. 15, covered 5,712 households, with valid responses received from 4,008, or 70.2 percent.