Japan's seasonally adjusted core machinery orders in June rose 3.0% from a month earlier, marking the first rise in three months, the Cabinet Office said Wednesday.
The private-sector orders excluding those for ships and equipment used at power utilities, which are closely watched as a leading indicator of corporate capital investment, amounted to ¥941.2 billion ($6.4 billion).
The Cabinet Office kept its basic assessment of machinery orders unchanged, saying that they are showing signs of picking up.
Machinery orders from manufacturers slid 8.1% to ¥412.3 billion, as those from the nonferrous metal industry and the oil and coal sector turned lower after the previous month's jump.
Core orders from nonmanufacturers climbed 8.8% to ¥521.4 billion, led by robust demand for computers in the leasing industry and tractors in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors.
Overall machinery orders, including those from the public sector and abroad, rose 0.3% to ¥3.1 trillion.
In the April-June quarter, core orders inched up 0.4% from the previous quarter to ¥2.77 trillion, marking the third consecutive quarter of growth.
Meanwhile, the July-September quarter is forecast to see a 4.0% fall.
"We need to examine the actual value from July onward" as orders from automobile and auto parts makers are on the decline due to U.S. President Donald Trump's high tariff measures, an official at the Cabinet Office said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.