- Japan's unemployment rate held steady at 3.6% in March, as expected (PR)
- Overall household spending jumped 7.2% on year after dropping 2.5% in February and blew past consensus of +1%. The likelihood is that consumers rushed to make purchases before a hike in sales tax to 8% from 5% went into effect on April 1. (PR)
- The impact of the tax rise may not be as strong as feared, as auto makers and major department-stores yesterday reported smaller-than-expected declines in April sales.
- The Nikkei is +0.6%, while the USD-JPY is +0.15 at ¥102.48.
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