Japanese Business Survey Index, a measure of sentiment among large manufacturers, rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.5 in the third quarter, up from -5.7 in the prior quarter. Analysts had predicted a decline to -6.1. A reading above 0.0 indicates optimism, below indicates pessimism.
"There will be a flood of demand right before the sales- tax rise, and a reaction to that after it rises," said Masahiko Hashimoto, an economist at Daiwa in Tokyo.