Results of the Regional Economic and Industrial Research (January–March 2013)

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
Assessments of economic conditions in all the regions (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Tokai, Hokuriku, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa) have improved from the previous quarter (for the first time in six quarters since the July-September 2011 period) due to the signs of picking up from the downward trends in the previous quarter, mainly among automakers showing good performance in production for exports, as well as to the signs of attempts to advance proactive investment intended to increase production capacity and other elements.