Japan Tankan Small Manufacturers Index

Tankan Business Conditions Small Manufacturing Enterprises Diffusion Index is based on the survey of approximately 220,000 private enterprises (excluding financial institutions) with at least 20 million yen in capital. The survey is done by mail or e-mail and asks participants to evaluate current trends and conditions in the business place and their respective industries as well as their expected business activities for the next quarter and year. The indicator is calculated by subtracting the percentage share of enterprises responding on the negative side from the share giving positive assessments. The index varies on a scale of -100 to 100 such that a value above zero indicates business optimism, a value below zero pessimism and 0 indicates neutrality.