Japan's industrial output in April dropped 0.4 percent from the previous month, but overall industrial activities are still on a gradual upward trend, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report released May 29.
The production index for mines and factories came to a seasonally adjusted 100.8 against the 1990 base year, MITI said. A ministry official said the monthly drop is mainly due to temporary factors such as the negative impact of the consumption tax increase April 1. However, he said that the latest production index, which represents a strong 4.9 percent rise from a year earlier, is still at a high level.