Japanese industrial production rose for the first time in six months in November, largely thanks to government assistance programmes.
Factory output was 1% up on October, with much of the lift coming from an increase in car production.
That has been underpinned by an official programme providing incentives to buyers of hybrid cars, such as Toyota’s Prius.
Output of various electronics and machinery parts also lifted production.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which released the figures, said it expected factory production to continue rising – by 3.4% in December and 3.7% in January.
