Most of Japan’s regional economies are picking up moderately with some firms considering raising wages, the central bank said in a quarterly report, underscoring its hope that household income will grow enough to compensate for rising living costs. In the report released on Thursday, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised its assessment for one of the country’s nine regions and left its view unchanged for the remaining eight. “Many regions saw their economies pick up moderately as supply constraints ease,” the BOJ said, adding that firms saw consumption recover as COVID-19 infection cases fell. “Companies enjoying strong ... (full story)