国际英语新闻：Japan's industrial output rises 1% in November

TOKYO, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan's industrial production in November grew a seasonally adjusted 1.0 percent from the previous month, marking the first rise in six months, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said in a preliminary report on Tuesday.

The industrial production index stood at 91.8 in November, against the 2005 base of 100, the report showed.

November's increase was in the region of the 0.9 percent increase forecast by economists and revealed that companies are beginning to boost their output on optimistic expectations for a rise in global demand next year, particularly from emerging markets and catalyzed by a stabilizing yen.

According to the manufacturers surveyed by METI, output is expected to rise 3.4 percent in December and increase 0.7 percent at the beginning of next year to an estimated 3.7 percent in January.

The METI, however, maintained its overall assessment of the nation's output, saying "industrial production has weakened" despite notable rises in demand for transport equipment and electronic parts.

The report showed that shipments rose 2.5 percent in the recording period, although inventories retreated a preliminary 1.7 percent.