Japan household spending falls

Japan's household spending slumped in September from a year earlier, government data showed on Tuesday, falling well short of economists' expectations and suggesting a slow recovery after an earthquake and typhoons hit consumption. The surprise 1.6 percent annual decline in household spending in September was the exact opposite of the 1.6 percent annual increase forecast by economists, and follows a 2.8 percent yearly gain in August. Third-quarter consumer spending in is likely to be weak because the northern island of Hokkaido temporarily lost power in early September due to an earthquake and typhoons flooded important infrastructure in western Japan, economists say.