Some 52.2 million mobile phone handsets were shipped domestically in 2003, up 27 percent from a year earlier.
This marks a first rise in three years.
The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association said Thursday that shipments of mobile phones, excluding personal handy-phone system (PHS) handsets, rose 27.4 percent to 50.78 million units, topping the 50 million mark for the first time.
The increase reflected continued strong demand for mobile phones equipped with cameras, allied to the replacement of older handsets for third-generation mobile handsets, the group said.
Shipments of PHS handsets rose 14.2 percent to 1.41 million units in 2003, it said.
In December, total shipments of mobile phone and PHS handsets rose 18.9 percent from a year earlier to 4.71 million units, up for the 14th consecutive month and surpassing 4 million units for the 10th straight month.