The economy grew at the fastest pace since 2011 in the January-March quarter as companies stepped up investment and consumers splurged before the first sales tax hike in 17 years in April.
Gross domestic product grew an annualized 5.9 percent from the previous quarter, the Cabinet Office said Thursday, more than a 4.2 percent median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of 32 economists. Consumer spending rose at the fastest pace since the quarter before the 1997 tax increase, while capital spending jumped the most since 2011.
Thursday's data add to signs the economy will have sufficient momentum to bounce back from the 3 point levy hike that is set to trigger a contraction this quarter. Such resilience lowers the odds of any imminent extra easing by the Bank of Japan and, if sustained, could persuade the government to proceed with a planned further increase in the tax rate to 10 percent.