Monthly service industry activities slipped 0.3 percent in July from the previous month, the first decline in three months, due to cool weather and a big drop in condominium sales, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
The seasonally adjusted tertiary industry indexes stood at 103, against the 1995 benchmark of 100.
MITI officials described the condominium sales plunge in July as a temporary phenomena, as sales of condominiums and houses were on the rise in August.
While July sales in real estate overall dropped 6.2 percent from the previous month, those for realtors and real estate brokers nosedived 22.3 percent, the report says.
The electricity supply, retail, wholesale and other service sectors declined slightly due to cooler weather, especially in western Japan.
Other sectors, including transport and communications as well as finance and insurance, stepped up activities in July, according to the report.