TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's service sector sentiment index rose to 53.6 in April, up for a fifth straight month, a Cabinet Office survey showed on Wednesday.
The survey of workers such as taxi drivers, hotel workers and restaurant staff - called "economy watchers" for their proximity to consumer and retail trends - showed their confidence about current economic conditions climbed from 52.2 in March.
The outlook index, indicating the level of confidence in future conditions, rose to 54.2 in April from 53.4 the previous month.
The Cabinet Office started compiling the data in comparative form in August 2001.