Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers improved to 12 in December from 9 three months earlier, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed Wednesday.
The reading of the key index measuring confidence among companies such as those in the auto and electronics sectors rose for the third straight quarter. The average market forecast was 10 in a Kyodo News survey.
The index for large nonmanufacturers, including the service sector, rose to 30 from 27 in the previous survey in September.
