Hard to believe that with most every expansion of the last 20 years cut short by consumption tax increases, they keep coming up like this.

Highlights:

Keidanren: Hike Consumption Tax To At Least 10%
Power Output Up 7.5% In March
Corp Goods Prices Down 1.3% In March
March New Condo Offerings Surge 54.2% In Tokyo
BOJ Gov Shirakawa: Law Prohibits BOJ From Underwriting JGBs
Forex: Dollar Briefly Hits 2-Week Low in Mid-92 Yen in Tokyo
Stocks: End Lower On Pre-U.S. Earnings Selling, Yen Rise
Bonds: Up Despite Weak 30-Yr Sale As Equity Slump Sparks Demand