The government said Friday that its key gauge of the state of the economy stayed above the boom-or-bust line of 50 percent for the ninth straight month in January.
The index of coincident economic indicators stood at 77.8 percent, spurred by brisk industrial output and growing sales by small and midsize companies, the Cabinet Office said.
This compares with a revised 81.8 percent for December. A reading above 50 percent is considered a sign of economic expansion, while a figure below this line is seen as a sign of contraction.
Of the 11 indicators making up the coincident gauge, six, including industrial product shipments and electricity consumption by large-lot users, rose to their highest levels since February 2002.