Japan's economy grows in Q2

TOKYO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) achieved the first growth in five quarters, up by an annualized 3.7 percent in real terms in the April-June quarter, the cabinet office said Monday.

The expansion in GDP, which was lifted by consumer and government spending, came following a revised annualized 11.7 percent plunge in the previous quarter and a revised 13.1 percent dive in the October-December quarter of 2008.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the economy rose 0.9 percent in the second quarter, said the office in a preliminary report.

Meanwhile, consumer spending was up 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter in real terms while corporate capital spending dipped 4.3 percent, according to the report.

Public investment jumped 8.1 percent, pushed by the government's fiscal stimulus packages to fight the recession, compared with a 9.5-percent fall in housing investment.

GDP is the total market value of the goods and services produced domestically during a specific period of time. Real GDP figures are adjusted for changes in the value of money or assessed by purchasing power.