Japan · Economy

Key Facts

—The survey. The Bank of Japan’s tankan, the country’s most-watched business gauge, just hit one of its highest readings in decades.

—The confidence. Large-manufacturer sentiment rose to plus twenty-two, the best since 2018; big service firms hit plus thirty-seven, the highest since 1991.

—The catch. The very same firms expect recurring profits to fall by nearly seven percent over the year.