According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, factory output in the reporting month dropped 2.1 percent from the previous month.
The ministry said in its preliminary report the seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 95.7 against the 2015 base of 100.
The latest reading comes on the heels of an upwardly revised 4.3 percent rise logged in January.
The index of industrial shipments fell 1.5 percent to 94.4, the ministry said, while inventories retreated 1.0 percent to 94.3.
The ministry said looking ahead and based on a survey of manufacturers, it expects Japan's industrial output to drop 1.9 percent in March and then climb 9.3 percent in April.
Latest comments