One year on from the deadly earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan and the economy continues to show true signs of recovery, albeit slow, though consumer’s sentiment remains skeptical. The Japanese Cabinet office reported over the weekend that Core Machinery Orders rose in January to 3.4%, well above the consensus estimate of a 1.6% rise and markedly improved from the previous months -7.1%. The February consumer confidence reading reported earlier today fell, however, to 39.5 from 40.0, below expectations of a rise to 40.8. Read more