Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori recently confessed that his goal of realizing a full economic recovery has yet to be achieved.
After touring the Musashi-Koyama shopping district of Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward on Wednesday, Mori said doubts remain over the revival of personal consumption -- considered the key to a full economic recovery.
Although the tour was scheduled during one of the busiest shopping times of the year, sales appeared to be off.
Mori told reporters that while some stores said sales were not bad, others said they were worse than in summer. "I was not able to feel confident," he said.
"What bothered me most was (the poor sales of) watches and jewelry, which are things that cannot be bought unless you have money to spare."
Among the stores Mori visited were a supermarket, a shoe store and an electrical appliance shop. Along the way, he bought a pair of shoes for his trip to Africa next month and a bag of carrots.