Retail sales in Japan were down 0.8 percent on year in April, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry reported on Monday.
That beat forecasts for a decline of 1.2 percent following the 1.0 percent fall in March.
Sales from large retailers slumped 0.8 percent on year - also beating expectations for a fall of 1.2 percent after sliding 1.0 percent in the previous month.
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail sales were flat - matching expectations after jumping 1.5 percent a month earlier.
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