Japan's top executives gloomy about economy

JAPAN: Over 90 per cent of Japanese business leaders have a negative view of the economy, according to a poll published by Kyodo news agency.
Among 100 presidents of major Japanese companies surveyed by the agency in December, 77 said the economy had stalled and 14 said it was deteriorating. The executives blamed the slowing US economy and sluggish Japanese consumer spending for prolonging Japan’s decade-long stagnation, Kyodo said.
However, 81 of those polled said they expected the economy to grow by up to 1 per cent in real terms in financial 2003.