Japan's economic growth has been sluggish, reflecting earlier rises in energy and materials prices and weaker exports, say the minutes of the Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Council meeting on 6 and 7 October.

Japan's growth was likely to remain slow as a downturn in overseas economies became more evident and strains in global financial markets intensified in the wake of failures and rescues of American and European financial institutions, the minutes said.

The minutes showed that the central