Japan's regional economies are on firmer ground amid robust overseas demand for electronics and increased domestic consumer spending, the Bank of Japan said Monday.

In its quarterly Sakura Report, the central bank upgraded its assessments for three of the country's nine regions — Tohoku, Hokuriku and Kinki — adding to evidence that the country's economy is strengthening, though inflation remains persistently low.

Demand from China and other parts of Asia for components used in devices such as smartphones, and the machinery used to make them, continued to boost business for manufacturers.