Japan consumer mood slips in April

TOKYO: Japanese consumer confidence fell for a fifth straight month in April, a Cabinet Office survey showed on Thursday, as a hike in the sales tax dampened sentiment.

The survey's sentiment index for general households, which includes views on incomes and jobs, was 37.0 in April, down from 37.5 in March.

The survey began in 1982. "General households" are those with two or more people.