Japan’s factory output grows on capital goods

Steady growth: An employee assists customers at an electronics store in Tokyo. In April, retail sales soared 12.0% year-on-year mainly due to statistical base effects but also strong appetite for general merchandise and clothing. — Bloomberg

TOKYO: Japan’s industrial output extended gains in April as manufacturers benefited from a recovery in appetite for capital goods, especially in key overseas markets.

The world’s third-largest economy is expected to grow in the current quarter at a much slower pace than previously thought after the government extended coronavirus emergency measures in Tokyo and other major areas.