Japan’s industrial production increased by 2.2% month-over-month in September 2026, reversing a 2.4% decline in the previous month and surpassing market estimates of 1.3%, preliminary data showed. It was the fastest growth since January, reflecting higher output across key manufacturing sectors as export demand recovered. Industries that mainly contributed to the upturn were motor vehicles (5.5% vs -6.8% in August), production machinery (3.4% vs 5.9%), and general-purpose and business-oriented machinery (4.8% vs -6.3%). In contrast, output contracted for iron, steel and non-ferrous metals (-1.6% vs -1.4%), ceramics, stone and clay products (-1.9% vs -2.4%), and chemicals excluding inorganic, organic chemicals, and medicine (-1.0% vs -0.3%). On an annual basis, production rose 1.9%, down from 2.7% in August, marking the softest growth in four months.