• Japan’s factory activity in March contracted for the 10th consecutive month though the downturn was the least pronounced in four months, helped by softer contractions in output and orders, a private-sector survey showed on Monday.
• The final au Jibun Bank Japan manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) was at 48.2 in March, the highest level since November. That matched the flash reading and was better than February’s 47.2, which marked the fastest pace of contraction in over 3-1/2 years.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/japans-march-factory-activity-shrinks-slower-pace-pmi-shows-2024-04-01/