Japan households' mood hits five-year low as tax hike bites

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese households' confidence in the economy worsened to a five-year low in the three months to December, a central bank survey showed on Thursday, adding to a recent slew of gloomy signs for the fragile recovery.The ratio of households who expect prices to rise a year from now also slid to a more than two-year low, underscoring the challenge the Bank of Japan faces in firing up inflation to its elusive 2% target.A diffusion index measuring households' confidence in the..