According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the country's factory output fell 1.0 percent in December from the previous month.
The preliminary report showed that the index of production at factories and mines stood at 96.5 against the 2015 base of 100, with the reading coming on the heels of a downwardly revised 7.0 percent increase booked in November.
The index of industrial shipments, meanwhile, shed 0.1 percent to 95.2, while inventories booked an uptick of 0.5 percent at 101.2, METI said.
The ministry now expects industrial output to jump 5.2 percent in January and climb 2.2 percent in February based on a poll of manufacturers.
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