they were up 2.6% at sogo & sogo & seibu. 1.6% at daimaru. the department store chains last month posted their biggest sales increases since the consumption tax hike in april 2014. they saw especially good results for watches, bags and cosmetics, as foreign tourists really snapped them up. analysts say japan has become a more popular destination for chinese tourists due to the weaker yen, and an easing of visa requirements. >>> japan's new auto sales in february fell by almost 15% from the same month last year. that's the second straight month now that the decline in sales has topped 10%. auto industry officials say roughly 482,000 new vehicles were sold in japan last month. that's down more than 14.5%. in january new car sales fell more than 19%, the largest drop since the consumption tax hike. the officials blame the plunge mainly on a rush to buy cars ahead of that tax hike. they warn that a drastic recovery in sales is unlikely as the japanese market continues to shrink. >>> all right. that is going to wrap it up for biz tonight. i'll lea