Mar 26, 2016. /Lesprom Network/. January housing starts in Japan were one of the lowest for the past 13 months and only just rose above the dismal performance of the sector in the first two months of 2015, ITTO reported.

Construction orders received by the top builders fell sharply (-14%) in January in contrast to the rise seen at the end of 2015.

This decline in orders coupled with weakening consumer sentiment does not bode well for the sector which had expected to get a boost from the lower mortgage rates being offered since the Bank of Japan adopted negative interest rates.