In Japan, the Monthly Consumer Confidence survey data is collected by direct visit and covers about 4,700 households consisting of more than two persons. The questionnaire covers four subjects: consumer perceptions of overall livelihood, income growth, employment and willingness to buy durable goods. For each subject an index based on the respondents’ evaluation of what they consider the prospects to be over the next six months is created. The Consumer Confidence Index is the simple average of the four consumer perception indexes. A score above 50 indicates optimism, below 50 shows lack of confidence and 50 indicates neutrality.

Source: Cabinet Office, Japan