Core machine orders in Japan were down a seasonally adjusted 2.8 percent on month in March, the Cabinet Office said on Wednesday.
That beat forecasts for a contraction of 3.5 percent following the downwardly revised 2.8 percent increase in February.
On a yearly basis, core machine orders fell 1.1 percent - well shy of expectations for a gain of 4.4 percent after climbing 8.9 percent in the previous month.
For the second quarter of 2012, core machine orders are expected to add 2.5 percent compared to the previous three months.
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