TOKYO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) on Thursday upgraded its economic views on two of the country's nine regions, owing to a continued recovery from a massive earthquake early last year and increased production of cars and electronic devices.
According to the central bank's quarterly Sakura Report, the assessments of quake-hit Hokuriku in central Japan and the Tohoku region in the country's northeast were lifted, while views on seven other regions remained unchanged.
The economy has been recovering moderately although the Hokuriku region is still reeling from the effects of the powerful 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the BOJ said.
Meanwhile, the Tohoku region saw a pickup in vehicle production as the area recovered from an industry-wide vehicle certification scandal last year. The production of chip-manufacturing equipment and other electronic products also increased, boosted by an artificial intelligence boom, according to the report. ■