The government on Friday effectively slashed its basic assessment of the Japanese economy amid sluggish private consumption, but avoided giving its view on whether the pace of recovery was decelerating or not.
The Cabinet Office retained the description that the economy "is on a moderate recovery path" in the latest monthly economic report but said "slowness can be seen in some areas" such as private consumption and exports.
The expression apparently reflects the government's weakening view of the economy after saying last month that "variation in the tempo of improvement can be seen in some areas."