TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese consumer confidence worsened for a second straight month in September, a Cabinet Office survey showed on Friday, suggesting the damage inflicted by the sales tax hike in April is lasting longer than expected.

The survey's sentiment index for general households, which includes views on incomes and jobs, was at 39.9 in September, down from 41.2 in August.

The Cabinet Office downgraded its view on the consumer confidence index, saying it is stalling.