Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers improved to 9 in September from 5 three months earlier, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed Monday.
The reading of the key index measuring confidence among companies such as those in the auto and electronics sectors rose for the second straight quarter. The average market forecast was 6 in a Kyodo News survey.
The index for large nonmanufacturers, including the service sector, rose to 27 from 23 in the previous survey in June.
