The Cabinet Office reported that consumer confidence in Japan improved slightly last month. The seasonally adjusted consumer confidence index rose to 43.8 in July from 43.3 in June. The reading exceeded the economists' forecast of 43.6 and hit the highest level since March. A score above 50 indicates optimism, while a score below 50 shows the lack of confidence.

According to the report, perception improved for most components, including overall livelihood (up 1.2 points m-o-m to 42.3), income growth (up 0.1 points m-o-m to 41.7) and willingness to buy durable goods (up 1.0 points m-o-m to 43.2), while was unchanged for employment (at 48.10).