Japan's current account surplus grew 0.6 percent from a year earlier to ¥3.21 trillion for the six months through June, marking the first rise in five half-year periods, government data showed Thursday.

The result was driven by growth in direct investment income, which more than offset a trade deficit on increasing fuel imports.

However, the surplus in the balance, one of the widest gauges of international trade, was the second-lowest on a first-half basis since comparable data became available in 1985.