Compared with the last assessment in April 2015, eight regions (Tohoku, Hokuriku, Kanto-Koshinetsu, Tokai, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu-Okinawa) reported that their assessments regarding the pace of economic improvement had remained unchanged, and the Hokkaido region revised its assessment upward mainly in view of an increase in production. All regions reported that the economy had been recovering moderately or recovering, mainly against the background of a pick-up in production, reflecting a moderate increase in demand both at home and abroad, and of the ongoing steady improvement in the employment and income ... (full story)