Japan imported 147.75 million barrels of crude oil in January, up 5.5 percent from a year earlier for the fifth consecutive monthly gain, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Tuesday.

Imports from the Middle East edged up 16.3 percent to 132.47 million barrels, accounting for 89.7 percent of the country's aggregate crude oil imports, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

The ministry attributed the rise in overall imports in the reporting month to increased consumption of heating oil during weather that was colder than usual.

The United Arab Emirates remained Japan's largest oil supplier, providing 38.56 million barrels, up 7.2 percent; followed by Saudi Arabia with 32.33 million barrels, up 19 percent; and Iran with 20.38 million barrels, up 0.1 percent.

Japan also procured 16.67 million barrels of crude oil from Qatar, an increase of 46.2 percent, and 11.38 million barrels from Kuwait, a rise of 57.9 percent.

Meanwhile, domestic sales of petroleum products totaled 22.87 million kiloliters in January, up 10.1 percent for the first increase in four months and a record amount for the month, the ministry said.

Kerosene sales soared 24.1 percent to 4.95 million kiloliters, while jet fuel sales grew 23.6 percent to 418,000 kiloliters. Sales of naphtha came to 4.21 million kiloliters and those of heavy fuel oil 5.9 million kiloliters, both up 10.4 percent.

Gasoline sales accelerated 3.6 percent to 4.40 million kiloliters.