Results of the "Regional Economic and Industrial Research" (April-June 2012)

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has compiled the results of the regional economic and industrial research, which the regional Bureaus of Economy, Trade and Industry (including the Hokuriku Branch of the Electricity and Gas Industry, and the Economy, Trade and Industry Department of the Okinawa General Bureau) conduct on a quarterly basis to identify regional economic trends, and METI hereby releases the results.

<Highlights of the results>
The assessments of economic conditions in four regions (Tohoku, Kanto, Kinki and Okinawa areas) were revised upward due to increases in production and consumer spending, an effect of the Eco-car Subsidy and other factors, and the assessments in six regions (Hokkaido, Tokai, Hokuriku, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu areas) remained the same and made no downward revision.

Overall, METI revised the assessments of regional economic conditions upward as "the regional economic conditions show signs of picking up."