Japan's gross domestic product increased 0.3 percent, or an annualized 1.0 percent, in the October-December 2013 period from the previous quarter. Although this represents an expansion of GDP for four consecutive quarters, the 1.0 percent growth was less than the 1.1 percent growth posted in the previous quarter and much lower than the average 2.6 percent growth predicted by private-sector economists.
Consumer spending registered a 0.5 percent increase in the October-December period, higher than the 0.2 percent increase posted in the previous quarter.
Capital investment went up 1.3 percent and housing investment 4.2 percent, but the government should not take an optimistic view about Japan's economic recovery.