0541 GMT - Japan's economy might be more resilient than in the past, with some evidence showing solid spending appetite among households and businesses despite headwinds such as uncertainty in the Middle East and higher oil prices. The latest sign came from the government's consumer confidence survey released Thursday. The Cabinet Office upgraded its assessment, saying Japanese consumer sentiment showed signs of picking up in July. The consumer confidence indicator for July increased by 1.1 points compared with the previous month, the third straight month of growth.