Business sentiment improved in July-September from a 11-year low hit three months ago, the Bank of Japan's key survey showed Thursday, in a sign the economy is gradually emerging from the devastating hit from the coronavirus pandemic.
The data offers some hope for new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's efforts to achieve an economic revival from the crisis and pave the way for hosting next year's Tokyo Olympic Games.
But factory activity remained shaky and corporate capital expenditure plans were at their weakest since the 2009 global financial crisis, underscoring the challenge of pulling the world's third-largest economy sustainably out of its slump.