Japanese consumer spending in January fell by the most in 35 months, data showed on Friday, although a government official blamed one-off factors and played down the impact on broader consumption trends. Household spending in January decreased by 6.3 per cent from a year earlier and was down for the 11th straight month, the internal affairs ministry data showed. That was worse than the median market forecast for a 4.3 per cent decline and marked the biggest drop since February 2021. On a seasonally adjusted, month-on-month basis, spending fell 2.1 per cent, versus an estimated 0.4 per cent increase. The fall was due ... (full story)