Anticipation is growing for a rate increase by the Bank of Japan in October as economic indicators pick up and consumer sentiment improves.

In the Cabinet Office¡¯s September economic report, the government revised up its assessment for private consumption ¡ª which accounts for more than half of the country¡¯s gross domestic product ¡ª for the first time in 13 months to ¡°showing signs of picking up.¡±

It deleted a statement that ¡°consumer sentiment is slow to improve,¡± contained in reports for previous months.