Real gross domestic product rose an annualized 2.6 percent in the three months to June, the Cabinet Office announced Monday, bolstering the government's claim that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policy is continuing its run of success, if at a slightly slower pace than most economists had projected.
On a quarterly basis, the economy grew 0.6 percent in the April-June period.
Debate now centers on whether the growth is enough to sustain momentum for the planned consumption tax hike next April.