Japan and Indonesia have pledged to deepen economic and defense ties during a visit by the Japanese prime minister

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has begun a tour of Malaysia and Indonesia as part of his effort to further strengthen defense and economic ties with Southeast Asia as threats from China rise in the region.

Japanese household spending fell 0.4% in November from a year earlier, internal affairs ministry data showed on Friday. That compared with the median market forecast for a 0.6% decline. On a seasonally adjusted,

Japan’s households cut consumption for a fourth month as inflation continues to weigh on their purchasing power, showing an economic fragility that’s likely to keep the Bank of Japan cautious about additional rate hikes.