Japan economy minister sees virus outbreak as main concern

Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Thursday the spreading impact from the coronavirus outbreak was the biggest concern for Japan's economy and he was closely watching developments.

Sales from Japanese shoppers and Chinese tourists have fallen at Japanese department stores from February, which warrants attention, Nishimura told reporters after the government issued its monthly economic report.

Japan's government kept its view that the economy is recovering moderately in a monthly report in February as the labour market remained solid, but it warned about risks to the outlook from the coronavirus epidemic.