The Bank of Japan on Thursday downgraded its assessments of seven out of the country’s nine regions amid weak private consumption and auto production, though the economy as a whole has continued to recover. In the quarterly Sakura report, the BOJ also noted that wage hikes are spreading from big firms to smaller ones, in a positive indication the central bank’s 2 percent inflation target is within reach. It also pointed to changes in corporate price-setting behavior. The seven regions include the Tokyo area and Tokai where Toyota Motor Corp. is headquartered. The views on Hokkaido and Shikoku …