TOKYO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) survey released Tuesday revealed that the sentiment index for large manufacturers rose to plus 13, improving for the first time in two quarters.

The Tankan survey, conducted quarterly among approximately 9,000 companies, gauges business sentiment by subtracting the percentage of respondents reporting unfavorable conditions from those reporting favorable ones.

Steel, paper and pulp sectors showed improvement, with their diffusion indexes rising to plus 15 and plus 11, respectively.

In contrast, sectors related to exports, such as automobiles and general machinery, saw worsening sentiment due to the impact of U.S. tariff measures.

The index for the auto sector declined by 5 points and general machinery by 4 points, reflecting increasing pressure on export-oriented industries.

Sentiment among large non-manufacturers edged down 1 point to plus 34 but remains at a high level, supported by price pass-through strategies and robust inbound tourism demand.

The outlook index for the next three months showed growing caution among businesses. The forecast sentiment index for large manufacturers fell to plus 12, down 1 point, and for large non-manufacturers to plus 27, down 7 points, suggesting that firms are becoming more wary about the economic outlook. ■