Japan's finance ministry released its current account figures on late Tuesday. The non-seasonally adjusted current account surplus rose to 2,795 billion yen in March from 1,440.1 billion yen in February, exceeding expectations for an increase to 2,060 billion yen.

It was the highest current account surplus since March 2008.

The increase was driven by higher overseas investment and by lower imports.

Current account figures are usually higher in March due to seasonal factors.

The current account measures trade in goods, services, tourism and investment.