The nation's current account surplus for 1997 grew 59.8 percent to 11.44 trillion yen, rising for the first time in four years, according to provisional figures released Thursday by the Finance Ministry.
The balance of trade in goods and services marked a surplus of 5.8 trillion yen, surging 150.4 percent to log the first annual rise since 1993.
Ministry officials attributed the increase to slowing growth in imports from April on, which they said was probably due to slackened domestic demand. But the yen's depreciation against the dollar was another factor; the exchange rate for the year was 121, compared with 108.79 for 1996.
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