Japanese retail sales climbed 1.5 percent from a year earlier to 10.30 trillion yen for the sixth straight monthly rise, chiefly boosted by rising oil prices, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry said Thursday.
It is the longest uptrend since a seven-month stretch between September 1996 and March 1997.
Retail sales of such fuel as gasoline and diesel oil jumped 14.9 percent from a year earlier on rising crude oil prices, while those in other major segments fell, according to the preliminary report.
But the ministry maintained its assessment that "a mild recovery trend" exists in the retail sector, a ministry official said.