Industrial production in February was revised upward to a seasonally adjusted fall of 1.6 percent from January, according to a report Friday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The original forecast was a decline of 2.3 percent.
The index of production at mines and factories stood at 93.5 against the 2000 base of 100, marking the first drop in two months, the ministry said.
The figures in the report differ from those in a March 31 preliminary report, with the base year having been changed from 1995 to 2000.
The index of industrial shipments slipped 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted 96.4, compared with an earlier reported loss of 0.8 percent to 95.8.
The factory operating ratio fell 1 percent from January to 95.8 in February.
The index for production capacity stood at an unadjusted 93.1, down 0.3 percent from January.
METI upgraded the prospects for industrial production growth in March to 3.9 percent, following an earlier growth estimate of 2.8 percent. It left its forecast for 0.2 percent growth in April unchanged.