It marked the second straight annual drop for Japan's PWB market, which fell 10.7% in 2008, JPCA committee member Dominique Numakura said in his weekly newsletter.

The domestic industry reported 2009 revenue of 626.6 billion yens ($6.5 billion), well below its peak of more than $11 billion.

Domestic forecasts call for 8% growth rate in 2010, Numakura said, adding that while the forecast "seems a bit on the conservative side, ... most want to err on the side of caution."