Natural disasters this summer combined with global trade frictions were behind the economy's sluggish third-quarter performance, making GDP fall at an annualized rate of 1.2 percent, government data showed Wednesday.
Over the July to September period, torrential rains hit western Japan, shutting down factories and affecting supply chains. A massive earthquake also occurred in Hokkaido, which further weakened the economy.
"We think that today's result was influenced largely by the many natural disasters that occurred, temporarily pushing down personal consumption and exports," said Toshimitsu Motegi, minister of economic and fiscal policy, at a news conference Wednesday in Tokyo.