Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday vowed to redouble his efforts to lift personal consumption through additional stimulus measures.
In a televised policy debate with leaders of other political parties ahead of the Dec. 14 House of Representatives election, Abe, who also heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, admitted that the effects of his "Abenomics" policy mix have yet to benefit non-urban areas of Japan.
"Abenomics is still only halfway" to achieving its goals, he said, adding that further stimulus is needed to spur consumption.