Japan's merchandise trade surplus dropped 9.8 percent in November from a year earlier to 598.5 billion yen, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.

Exports were up 10.1 percent to 4.28 trillion yen, while imports advanced 14.1 percent to 3.68 trillion yen, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

Both imports and exports rose for the 13th straight month.