TOKYO (REUTERS) - Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Tuesday (March 22) that the Japanese economy's fundamentals were firm and there was no need to adopt fresh fiscal spending to stimulate it.

"At the moment we are not considering the need to take further fiscal spending steps. We need to continue to coordinate with the international community," Mr Aso told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

He made the remark when asked about growing calls in some quarters for Japan to take a leadership role as G-7 chair in coordinating fiscal steps to boost domestic demand.