Looking ahead, from fiscal 2017 through fiscal 2018, improvement in overseas economies and the government's large-scale stimulus measures that were formulated last year are expected to clearly have positive effects on the economy. Under these circumstances, Japan's economy is likely to continue expanding and keep growing at a pace above its potential, mainly through fiscal 2018.
In what follows, I would like to talk about the current situation of Japan's economic activity and its outlook in more detail. Let me first touch on overseas economies affecting Japan's economy.