Japan's small business confidence weakened in April, following four consecutive monthly increases, survey results from the Shoko Chukin Bank showed Tuesday.
The small business sentiment index dropped to 49.4 in April from 49.7 in March. Also, the reading remains below neutral level of 50.
The sentiment index for manufacturing came in at 47.2, down from 48.3 a month ago. Meanwhile, confidence among non-manufacturers rose 0.5 points to 51.1.
The overall confidence index is forecast to rise moderately to 49.8 in May.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.