Tokyo - Japan's central bank on Tuesday upgraded the nation's economic assessment for the second month in a row but maintained its key short-term interest rate steady.

The Bank of Japan decided to hold the rate at 0.1 per cent in a unanimous vote at its two-day policy board meeting.

As imports and industrial output begin to show recovery, the bank said Japan's economy "is likely to show clearer evidence of leveling out over time" in the coming months.

The bank last month upgraded its economic overview for the first time in nearly three years.(dpa)