Japan’s industrial production rose 4.3% month-over-month in January 2026, topping flash data of a 2.2% gain and notably accelerating from an upwardly revised 0.6% increase in the previous month. It was the fastest growth since at least June 2022, as manufacturers resumed production following year-end maintenance. Industries that mainly contributed to the increase were motor vehicles (8.1% vs 0.4% in December), plastic products (6.0% vs 0.1%), chemicals, excluding inorganic, organic chemicals, and medicine (3.6% vs -0.7%). On an annual basis, production grew 0.7%, following a 0.9% gain in December.