Japan's January industrial output up 2.2% on month on strong autos

The increase followed a contraction of 0.1 percent in December. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry maintained its basic assessment of industrial production from the month before, saying it "fluctuates indecisively."

The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 104.0 against the 2020 base of 100, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

Output grew in 13 of the 15 sectors, with automakers logging an increase of 9.1 percent due to robust demand for passenger vehicles in both Japan and overseas.

Production machinery saw a decline due to weaker demand for semiconductor-manufacturing equipment.

The ministry said transport equipment, and electronic parts and devices, which have been the driving force of the country's output, are likely to be weak in the next few months.

Many companies are still closely watching U.S. tariff policy developments and the outlook for the Chinese economy, although a direct impact on production was not seen in the latest report, a ministry official said.

According to a poll of manufacturers, output is expected to fall 0.5 percent in February and decline 2.6 percent in March, the ministry said.

In January, the index of industrial shipments rose 3.2 percent to 102.2, while that of inventories edged up 0.1 percent to 98.3.

Previously, Qazinform reported Japan’s birth rate plummets to a record low in 2025.