Japan’s Recession Seen Shallower Than First Thought in Abe Boost

The third-quarter contraction that tipped Japan into recession may not be as sharp as first thought, with economists revising gross domestic product forecasts as the nation’s election campaign starts today.

The economy probably shrank an annualized 0.6 percent in the three months through September, not the 1.6 percent initially projected by the government, according to a Bloomberg News survey of 12 economists yesterday.