Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a meeting of the Ministerial Council on Monthly Economic Report and Other Relative Issues at the Prime Minister's Office.
The Monthly Economic Report for March assesses the current state of the Japanese economy, stating that "The Japanese economy is recovering at a moderate pace. A last-minute rise in demand before a consumption tax increase is intensifying."
On prospects for the economy, it states "The economy is expected to be on a recovery trend as household income and business investment increase, while exports move toward picking up and the effects of the policies support. However, slowing down of overseas economies is still downside risk of the Japanese economy. Negative reaction after a last-minute rise in demand before a consumption tax increase is expected."