Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers improved for the first time in two quarters in December, buoyed by production recovery in the auto industry as the effects of the recent certification scandal waned, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed Friday.But the firms said they were less confident about the outlook, citing uncertainty in overseas economies, with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expected to advance his protectionist trade policies after he takes office in January.The sentiment index for companies such as carmakers and technology companies rose to 14 from 13 th…READ FULL ARTICLE