The average daily balance of bank lending rose 0.2 percent in February from a year earlier, the first increase in eight years and two months, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday.
Before adjustment for special factors, including loan securitization, the loan balance stood at 383.34 trillion yen in the reporting month.
The loan balance last increased in December 1997, when a 0.004 percent rise was recorded.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.