TOKYO, July 1 (Reuters) - Confidence at Japanese big manufacturers rose for a fourth straight quarter due to a boost to exports and profits from a pick-up in external demand, a key “tankan” survey by the central bank showed on Thursday. The headline index for big manufacturers’ sentiment rose to plus 14 from plus 5 in March, the Bank of Japan’s closely watched tankan business survey showed. The mood among big non-manufacturers also improved for a second straight quarter, the survey showed. The survey also showed big firms plan to raise their capital spending by 9.6% in the financial year to March 2022. The reading compared with the market’s median forecast for a 7.2% gain, following a 3% increase seen in March. For the POLL For the BOJ’s table: here here Reporting by Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto Editing by Chang-Ran Kim Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.