0536 GMT - The Bank of Japan's latest consumer survey shows households continue to feel the pinch from rising prices, signaling that it's difficult for a virtuous cycle of income, spending and inflation to work smoothly in Japan. The quarterly survey shows nearly 56% say their living conditions are getting tougher, with more than 90% of them saying that's due to higher prices. Only 3.9% say their living conditions were easy. Policymakers hope wage growth will encourage more household spending, but the results suggest that consumer sentiment may not turn positive so quickly. Some 86.7% of the respondents say prices would increase further, either slightly or significantly, a year from now, according to the survey. (megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 11, 2025 01:36 ET (05:36 GMT)

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