Overall household spending hit 320,068 yen in April, up a real 1.9 percent from a year earlier and marking the first increase in two months, the government said Friday.
The rise follows a year-on-year decline of 1 percent in March and 3.8 percent in February, the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry said in a preliminary report.
The 1.9 percent rise represents a seasonally adjusted increase of 2 percent from March, and reflects more spending in areas such as education, housing, food, furniture and clothing, the ministry said.
Spending on education increased 19.2 percent from a year earlier to 23,877 yen due to a rise in tuition costs, along with heavier spending on textbooks and educational material.
Expenditures on housing, including maintenance, repair and rent payments, rose 8.2 percent to 20,040 yen.
Outlays on furniture rose 4.1 percent to 9,448 yen on increased spending for items such as beds, household goods and interior furnishings.
Spending on food grew 1.6 percent to 68,908 yen on spending increases for snacks, drinks and vegetables.
Expenditures on clothing grew 0.7 percent to 15,728 yen on bigger purchases of fabrics, underwear and shoes.