Japan economics minister says U.S. recession fears rising

TOKYO (Reuters) - Concern that the U.S. economy will slip into a recession is rising, Japanese Economics Minister Hiroko Ota said on Tuesday, adding that any impact on the Japanese economy will depend on how long the U.S. downturn lasts.

"We have said the U.S economy has been slowing but concerns are rising that there will be a recession given the fall in consumption and employment," Ota told a news conference after a cabinet meeting. (Reporting by Hideyuki Sano; Editing by Hugh Lawson)