Japan April consumer confidence at 5-yr low 35.2

(For more stories on the Japanese economy, click [ID:nECONJP])

TOKYO, May 16 (Reuters) - Japanese consumer confidence
worsened in April to a five-year low, a government survey showed
on Friday. [JPCONI=ECI]

The Cabinet Office sentiment index for general households,
which includes views on incomes and jobs, fell to 35.2 in April
from 36.7 in March. It was the lowest since the March 2003 figure
of 34.7.

"General households" are those with two or more people and a
reading below 50 suggests consumer pessimism.

Following is a breakdown:
(unadjusted) APR MAR FEB JAN
-------------------------------------------------------
General households 35.2 36.7 36.1 37.5
For full details go to the Cabinet Office Web site at:
here

(Reporting by Hideyuki Sano)