The business survey index (BSI) of sentiment at large manufacturers came in at +9.7 in the October-December quarter from +9.4 in July-September, the joint survey by the Ministry of Finance and the Economic and Social Research Institute showed.
The mood improved amid a weaker yen and a 12% rise in the Nikkei 225 index.
The data indicates a record economic expansion for the 7th consecutive quarter, marking the fastest pace of growth over the past 16th years on the back of the expanding world economy and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s attempts to revive growth in the country’s economy.
The report was unveiled before the the Bank of Japan’s Tankan index of sentiment at large manufacturers, which is set to show confidence at the highest level in a decade.