Retail sales in Japan fell 0.1 percent on year in October, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Tuesday.
That beat forecasts for a decline of 1.6 percent following the fall of 1.7 percent in September.
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, retail sales climbed 2.5 percent - also exceeding expectations for 1.1 percent and up from 0.3 percent in the previous month.
Sales from large retailers shed 1.0 percent on year, missing forecasts for a fall of 0.9 percent following the 3.2 percent tumble a month earlier.
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