Pyongyang, December 3 (KCNA) -- New housing starts in Japan fell 5.8 percent in October from a year earlier, marking the second straight year-on-year decline, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said in a report on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Japan's supermarket sales in October edged down 0.9 percent from a year earlier on a same-store basis, declining for the third consecutive month due to sluggish food sales, an industry body said Tuesday.

This is attributable to the falling of buying caused by economic stagnation.