Japan's current account surplus for April widened 23.1 percent from a year earlier to 1.58 trillion yen, backed by strong exports, the main engine behind the country's economic recovery, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
April's data represented the 10th consecutive month of growth.
The surplus rose despite an increase in the services deficit, caused mainly by a rise in the number of Japanese tourists traveling abroad. The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Asia had dented the number for about a year up to February.
The current account balance is the broadest gauge of trade in goods and services, which also includes cross-border income through investment.
A surplus in the trade balance -- exports minus imports -- was the main contributor for the April figure, amid strong demand for components of digital gadgets and mobile phones in the Asian region. The trade balance posted a surplus of 1.26 trillion yen in April, up 25.6 percent from the same month last year.
Exports expanded 11 percent to 4.88 trillion yen, as Japanese exports to China and other Asian nations grew. Imports rose 6.6 percent to 3.61 trillion yen. Both exports and imports marked the second-highest levels on record.
The trade surplus more than offset a services deficit, including travel. Services marked a deficit of 476.8 billion yen, up 30.8 percent from a year earlier.