TOKYO, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Japan's economy contracted an annualized real 0.2 percent in the January-March period from the previous quarter, revised up from the initial reading of a 0.7 percent decline, government data showed on Monday.
The revised figure for gross domestic product (GDP), supported by stronger-than-expected consumer spending and private inventories, marked the first decline in four quarters, the Cabinet Office said.
Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan's GDP, rose 0.1 percent in January-March, compared with an earlier reading of a 0.04 percent rise, helped by the inclusion of restaurant and games sales data.
Private-sector inventories contributed 0.6 percentage points to GDP, compared with a preliminary reading of 0.3 percentage points, due to a rise in stocks of crude oil and natural gas, the government said.
Capital investment, a key component of domestic demand, expanded 1.1 percent in the first quarter, revised down from 1.4 percent, weighed down by weak software spending. ■
