Japan's economy grew at faster rate in fiscal Q1 than initially thought on healthy consumer spending

TOKYO — Japan’s economy expanded at a stronger rate in the fiscal first quarter than previously estimated, despite worries about U.S. tariffs and domestic political uncertainty, according to government data released Monday.

The Cabinet Office said Japan’s real gross domestic product, the sum value of a nation’s goods and services, grew at a seasonally adjusted 2.2% annualized rate in the April-June quarter from the previous quarter.

That was better than the preliminary estimate for 1.0% growth, which came out last month, as solid consumer spending and inventories lifted growth more than previously thought.

Quarter-on-quarter, Japan’s GDP grew 0.5%, up from the initial estimate for a 0.3% rise, which was also what analysts projected, according to RaboResearch.

That marked the fifth stra