Core machine orders in Japan fell a seasonally adjusted 3.3 percent on month in August, the Cabinet Office said on Thursday.
That missed forecasts for a contraction of 2.3 percent following the 4.6 percent increase in July.
On a yearly basis, core machine orders fell 6.1 percent - also missing expectations for a decline of 4.6 percent following the 1.7 percent increase in the previous month.
The total number of machinery orders, including those volatile ones for ships and from electric power companies, saw a decrease of 12.6 percent on month and a fall of 18.6 percent on year in August.
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com