Industrial output rose a seasonally adjusted 1 percent in April from the previous month for the first increase in three months, the government said Friday, signaling that the world's third-largest economy may be starting to recover from last year's consumption tax hike.

The index of output at factories and mines stood at 99.1 against the base of 100 in 2010, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report. The outcome, which follows a 0.8 percent fall in March, was better than an average market expectation of a 0.8 percent rise.

The ministry maintained its basic assessment of output, saying it is "showing signs of increase at a moderate pace."