Japan's current account surplus jumped 65.1 percent in March from a year before to ¥2.53 trillion as a continuing recovery in exports of such items as automobiles and semiconductors mainly to Asia helped improve the trade balance, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

For all of fiscal 2009, which ended March 31, the surplus grew 26.9 percent to ¥15.65 trillion, posting its first growth in two years, the ministry said in a preliminary report. In 2008 it fell at a record pace.

Both exports and imports for fiscal 2009 declined for the second year in a row.