Tokyo, Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)–Consumer sentiment in Japan deteriorated in September for the first time in five months, as higher food prices heightened consumer caution, a Cabinet Office survey showed Monday. The seasonally adjusted consumer confidence index, which measures sentiment among households with two or more members, edged down 0.1 point from the previous month to 35.4. Of the four components of the index, the indicator for living conditions fell 0.3 point, and that for willingness to buy consumer durables slipped 0.2 point. In contrast, the indicators for income growth and the employment environment each inched up 0.1 point. The Cabinet Office kept its basic assessment unchanged, saying consumer sentiment is showing signs of picking up. The proportion of respondents expecting prices to rise in a year’s time came to 90.6 pct, up 1.6 percentage points. Of them, the share expecting a price increase of 5 pct or more climbed 1.5 points, reflecting continued price hikes for various food products despite a decline in rice prices. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
