Japan's economy has continued to recover moderately . Overseas economies -- mainly advanced economies -- have been recovering, albeit with a lackluster performance still seen in part. In this situation , exports and industrial production have been picking up , albeit with some fluctuations . As corporate profits have improved and business sentiment has generally stayed at a favorable level , business fixed investment has been on a moderate increasing trend . Against the background of steady improvement in the employment and income situation , private consumption has been resilient and housing investment has started ... (full story)