Companies' expectations for inflation over the next year have receded slightly after the Bank of Japan conceded it will take some time to reach its inflation target, according to the central bank's latest tankan survey.
Firms expect consumer prices to have risen 0.8 percent a year from now, slightly below their projection three months ago of a 0.9 percent increase, the survey found.
They expect consumer prices to have risen by an annual 1.1 percent three years from now and 1.1 percent five years ahead, unchanged from three months ago.