Part of the reason the unemployment rate worsened was because recent improvement in the job market is prompting more people to look for work.

The economy is on a recovery trend, which was partly behind a historical election victory for Koizumi. This victory will make it easier for him to push forward needed reforms.

The surplus will continue shrinking as oil prices push up imports. The biggest concern is that rising oil prices could derail growth in the U.S. and other countries, which would be a blow to Japanese exports.

The inventory adjustment in the technology sector is coming to an end and will finish as exports to China start picking up. The leading index should be able to maintain a level over 50 percent in the coming months.

It was partly due to more people voluntarily leaving to look for better jobs as wages are rising, as opposed to companies laying off workers.

The main reason behind a rise in unemployment is a rise in the number of people who voluntarily quit jobs to find better positions as income and job market conditions improve.

There's nothing negative in the revised data and the impression that Japan's economy is recovering on the back of firm domestic demand is stronger than when the preliminary data was released.

The fall in inventories is a good sign because it means adjustments in the IT sector that have been taking place since the middle of last year are finally coming to an end.

We actually have a stronger impression of firm, private demand-led growth than we did when the preliminary figures came out. There's nothing negative about the figures.