Core private-sector machinery orders in Japan unexpectedly rose for the first time in five months in February, helped by an apparent pickup in some nonmanufacturing businesses, the government said Thursday.

Despite continued weak overseas demand, orders grew a seasonally adjusted 1.4 percent from January to ¥728.1 billion, which compares with the average market forecast of an 8.1 percent drop in a Kyodo News survey.

Among nonmanufacturers, the transport and agricultural sectors contributed significantly to the better-than-expected reading, with orders increasing for items such as railway vehicles and cultivating machinery, according to the Cabinet Office.