Japan Q4 growth seen quickening on shopping spree before tax hike

A woman shops for shoes at a shopping arcade in Tokyo on Jan 21, 2014. A Reuters poll of 26 economists forecast Japan's economy to have grown 0.7% in the October-December period from the previous quarter - EPA Photo.

TOKYO: Japan's economic growth is expected to have quickened at the end of last year as consumers ramped up spending ahead of a planned sales tax hike, but analysts say that Tokyo may have to inject fresh stimulus to brighten the outlook.

Lukewarm exports and wages growth have undercut some of the economic gains of the past year, and recent turmoil in emerging markets have also raised worries that Japanese shipments may fail to pick up the pace.