The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan fell 2.6 percent in November from a year earlier to 1,106 for the 23rd straight month of decline, a private-sector corporate credit research agency said Tuesday.

Combined debts left by failed companies declined 64.6 percent to 357.15 billion yen, the lowest this year, Teikoku Databank said in its monthly report on failures of firms with debts of 10 million yen or more.

The agency attributed the continued fall in bankruptcies to various corporate revival programs, including those provided by the Industrial Revitalization Corp. of Japan and corporate revival funds.

But it said signs of recovery have not been seen among most small to midsize firms and there is no clear evidence that the declines in bankruptcies are an indication of recovery at companies.

The number of failures in which companies were forced to discontinue business under court-supervised proceedings came to 423, accounting for 38.2 percent of the total, the agency said.

In other bankruptcy cases, companies are allowed to continue operations though procedures involving debt waivers and job cuts.

One listed company, Media Lynks Corp., went bankrupt in November, it said.

The number of bankruptcies fell on a year-on-year basis in all industries except retail, transport and telecommunications.

Of the November total, 835 firms, or 75.5 percent, collapsed due to recession-linked factors, including poor sales and an inability to pay off loans.

Bankruptcies related to the strong earthquakes in Niigata Prefecture totaled two, while those in typhoon-related factors came to five.