Investment by all nonfinancial sectors for purposes such as building factories and adding equipment totaled 14.48 trillion yen (about 96 billion U.S. dollars), a record for the fourth quarter, the Ministry of Finance data showed.
Investment by manufacturers was up 20.6 percent, driven by sectors such as information and communication machinery, and transport equipment, to boost output capacity, marking the 11th straight quarter of expansion.
Nonmanufacturers increased investment by 14.2 percent, up for the sixth straight quarter, led by the telecommunication, transportation and postal service sectors.
Preliminary estimates last month showed the Japanese economy unexpectedly contracted in the fourth quarter last year for the second straight quarter, slipping into a technical recession amid weak spending by both consumers and businesses.
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