An index measuring corporate service prices was up 0.3 percent on year in May, the Bank of Japan said on Tuesday, standing at 96.3.
The headline figure topped expectations for a flat reading following the revised 0.3 percent contraction in the previous month (originally -0.4 percent).
On a monthly basis, prices added 0.1 percent after dipping a revised 0.2 percent in April.
Among the individual components of the survey, prices were up for advertising, transportation, communications and real estate.
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